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By the end of the year 2,776 premises had been registered and this figure is
now estimated to be near the total of premises required to be registered. Systematic
surveys of these premises continued and 399 premises received a general inspection,
entailing 1,371 visits. Two hundred and sixty-nine notices were served drawing the
attention of occupiers to contraventions of the Act. All but one of these contraventions
were of a minor character, the most common being unsatisfactory lighting
standards, followed by poor decorative conditions which contribute in no small way
to the lighting standard. However, in one instance legal proceedings relating to
these contraventions were instituted, resulting in a fine of £15 15s. 0d. and £5 5s. 0d.
costs.
Seventy-five accidents were reported but none was of a serious nature.
The majority of accidents reported still appear to be a result of negligence in
handling goods and equipment. In the majority of cases a lack of instruction in
the best methods of handling goods and maintaining equipment is evident.
The Shops Act, 1950, is a consolidating Act, re-enacting the existing law on
hours of closing, certain conditions of employment, Sunday trading and general
matters relating to these subjects. One prosecution for trading out of hours was
taken under this Act resulting in a fine of £2 with £5 5s. 0d. costs.
The Shops (Early Closing Days) Act, 1965, provides, inter alia, for an early
closing day to be selected by the occupier of the premises and to substitute the
expression "early closing day " for the expression "weekly half-holiday".
Provisions relating to street trading are included in the Middlesex County
Council Acts and Bye-laws made thereunder. Three prosecutions were taken for
unlicensed trading, resulting in fines of £22 and costs of £8 8s. 0d.
The estimated number of shops in the borough is 1,817. A street market with
38 licensed sites trades six days a week. A further eight licensed street traders are
situated throughout the borough.
A privately-owned covered market trades six days a week and another private
market is held in the Enfield market square every Saturday.
During the year 2,642 visits were made to shops and stalls. Some of these
were primary inspections and minor contraventions noted were found to have been
remedied on re-inspection.
No prosecutions were taken.
(See Statistical Table 42)
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