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REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL
Under Section 72 of the Public Health Act, 1936, a local authority may, and if
required by the Minister shall, undertake the removal of house refuse. Other provisions
relating to refuse collection and disposal are made under other sections of
Part II of the Act.
The Civic Amenities Act, 1967, makes provision, inter alia, for the orderly
disposal of disused vehicles and equipment and other rubbish. The Removal of
Refuse Regulations, 1967, made under Section 23 of this Act, empowers local
authorities to remove anything in their area, other than a motor vehicle, which is
abandoned without lawful authority on any land in the open air or on any other
land forming part of a highway. There was one prosecution under this Act during
the year which resulted in a fine of £10 0s. Od. with £2 12s. 6d. costs being imposed.
Powers to deal with accumulations of rubbish on a vacant site in a built-up
area are provided under Section 34 of the Public Health Act, 1961. Under Section 51
of this Act, authority is given for the provision of receptacles for refuse and litter in
any street or public place, and the emptying of such receptacles.
Certain provisions in respect of refuse are also contained in the Middlesex
County Council Act, 1956.
Refuse collection is a function of the Department of the Borough Engineer and
Surveyor and is directly provided by the Council staff and vehicles. Two hundred
and fifty-five men are employed on refuse collection and 123 on road sweeping. The
cleansing fleet consists of 86 vehicles, 30 of which are street sweepers' vehicles,
pedestrian controlled. The present fleet of vehicles comprises a mixed variety of
types but it is intended ultimately to use only the large compression type vehicles to
cope with the bulky, lightweight refuse of the present day. It has been agreed that
due to the longer haul required to the new Greater London Council Deephams
Incineration Plant, new vehicles to be purchased are to be of fifty or seventy cubic
yards capacity instead of thirty-five cubic yards as at present.
In the autumn there was a withdrawal of labour by local authority manual staff
resulting in a breakdown in the refuse collection service. During the emergency
plastic sacks were made available to the public, and the use of these sacks considerably
reduced the public health risk.
Refuse disposal is a function of the Greater London Council under Schedule XI
of the London Government Act, 1963. The Greater London Council decided upon
complete incineration as the best method of refuse disposal and a new incinerator,
one of the largest and most modem plants in the world, is being installed in the
borough at Deephams, Edmonton, N.18. It is expected to be fully operative in 1970.
The refuse disposal incineration plant at Montagu Road has now been
demolished by the Greater London Council and the use of similar plant at Carterhatch
Lane has been discontinued. These depots, together with Barrowell Green, are now
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