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Complaints are received from residents about the annoyance caused by these
caravan dwellers and their dogs and their poor standard of hygiene. The camping
site is often left in a deplorable state.
Under the provisions of the North West London (General Powers) Act, 1965,
Court proceedings can be instituted to effect their removal from the site, with the
consequence, of course, that they move to another unauthorised site in the Borough
or neighbouring authority.
This is a social problem, affecting the country as a whole, and needs a regional
or national approach to the problem on the basis of permanent housing for those
willing and able to give up their nomadic existence, and officially controlled sites
for others.
CANAL BOATS
Provisions in relation to health are made in Sections 249-258 of the Public
Health Act, 1936, as amended by Section 79 of the Public Health Act, 1961.
The Lee Navigation runs through the eastern extremity of the Borough from
north to south.
The canal boats using this waterway for the transport of goods are not residential
and do not therefore require registration for public health purposes.
SHOPS and OFFICES
The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963, is designed to raise
standards of working conditions so as to promote the health, welfare and safety of
the employees.
Broadly, it gives to these workers protection similar to that already afforded
the factory worker by the Factories Acts.
Enforcement of the provisions of the Act, in relation to Crown property, local
authority premises, railway premises, and offices and shops in factories covered by
the Factories Act, 1961, is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate.
Responsibility in respect of all other shops and offices is vested in local authorities.
Since the passing of the Act, the Minister of Labour has made several Orders
and Regulations prescribing standards for the provision of washing facilities, sanitary
accommodation, first aid equipment, etc. It is proposed to issue further Regulations
prescribing standards for lighting.
The Act gave a period of twelve months for the occupiers of premises to register
with the appropriate enforcing authority, but of an anticipated 4,000 registrable
premises, only 2,199 had registered by the end of the year. Surveys have been
carried out street by street, and during 1965, 1,507 premises received a general
inspection, entailing 2,880 visits, and 46 notices were served drawing the attention
of occupiers to contraventions of the Act. Many contraventions were of a minor
character, but the most common defect was unsatisfactory lighting standards. The
next most common fault was the poor decorative condition of premises, a factor
which contributes substantially to the lighting standard. Many shops have bright
attractive premises for display to the general public, but the premises to the rear
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