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OFFENSIVE TRADES
Section 107 of the Public Health Act, 1936, defines a list of "offensive trades"
which can only be established with the consent of a local authority. In addition to
the trades listed, a local authority, by Order confirmed by the Minister, may declare
other "offensive trades". The business of a dealer in butchers' wastes was so
declared to be an offensive trade as such a business was operating in the borough, but
this business ceased in 1969. Fifteen visits were paid to this establishment and
conditions were found to be satisfactory.
INSPECTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
The work of the public health inspectors, based on principles of good environmental
hygiene, remains the same: pure water, clean food, clean air, adequate shelter
and the removal of conditions inimical to healthy living.
A total of 58,245 visits, an increase of about 5% over the previous year, was
made to a variety of premises including dwelling houses, business and industrial
premises and places in which food is handled.
The Public Health (Recurring Nuisances) Act, 1969, which came into operation
on the 25th June, enables local authorities to deal more effectively with nuisances
which may be remedied but which are likely to recur.
During the summer of 1969 considerable annoyance was caused to residents in
the north-east part of the borough by the pollution of a large area of water in an
excavated gravel pit. The water, covering an area of more than two acres to an
average depth of twelve feet, was being filled with rubble and general debris. The
filling material included a considerable quantity of cellulosic material and the free
oxygen in the water was used up resulting in very offensive odours being emitted
from the polluted water. Unsuccessful attempts were made to treat the water
chemically and it was finally decided that the excavated area be filled as quickly as
possible with inorganic material. To speed up the filling of the pit, tipping was made
free of charge to anyone carrying suitable material. Several hundred loads were
tipped daily but in spite of these measures it took several weeks to remedy the
nuisance.
Many matters were resolved informally without the necessity of serving notices
but arising from defects and shortcomings found on visits, 233 informal and 173
statutory notices were served resulting in repairs and sanitary improvements being
carried out. Legal proceedings were instituted in nine cases resulting in fines totalling
£20 0s. 0d. and costs of £22 Is. Od. being obtained.
Requests for visits, and complaints on a wide range of matters, numbered 7,439.
Of this total, 1,944 were notifications of blocked or defective drains. Although the
responsibility rests with owners to clear and repair drains, the Council provides a
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