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a long term programme of slum clearance and redevelopment in the Borough, and as many
years must elapse before its fulfilment, it is inevitable - owing to the shortage of
alternative housing accommodation and the scarcity of land on which to build new
houses - that a substantial proportion of the 1,500 or more houses reported to the
Minister as required by Section 1 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954. as being
unfit for habitation and liable to be dealt with by slum clearance or individual demolition
will have to be retained and maintained for housing purposes, for many years to
come.
The Public Health Committee will therefore be faced for an indefinite period with
the problem of enforcing essential repairs to insanitary properties,
RODENT AND INSECT PEST CONTROL
Under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, the Statutory duty of the
Council in regard to rodent control is threefold; to inspect the district in order to
ascertain the degree of infestation by rats and mice, to destroy rodents on land of
which they are the occupiers and to ensure if necessary by legal proceedings that the
owners and occupiers of land are taking all practicable steps for the destruction of
rats and mice. It should be noted that land for this purpose includes buildings or
parts of buildings. In order to meet its obligations under the Act the Local Authority
must maintain an organisation adequate to requirements for effective rodent control
according to the condition of infestation of its area and in particular pay special
attention to efficient rodent control in its sewers, refuse dumps, refuse destructors
and its other public service properties,. In this connection the Council's sewers were
disinfested in April and October, each treatment being of four to five weeks duration
and involving some 1,100 odd manholes. As a result of investigation of surface infestations
by the Public Health Inspectorate it was necessary to liaise with the Borough
Engineer and Surveyor in regard to the repair of drainage systems at 14 houses which
had proved a source of infestation. Some 504 complaints were received during the year
concerning rodent infestation involving treatment by rodent operatives of 369 private
houses and 53 business premises. The total number of visits in connection with these
investigations and subsequent disinfestation amounted to 4,237.
The Chairman of the Public Health Committee, Councillor F.W.Marshall and the
Chief Public Health Inspector continued to be the Councils representatives on the
Workable Area Committee set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
for rodent control. The Committee, comprising some 16 neighbouring authorities, meets
about three times per year and apart from discussing general methods of rodent control
and forms of treatment, investigate the results of the simultaneous treatment of interconnected
sewers carried out bi-annually by adjacent authorities,
BUSINESS PREMISES-GENERAL
The main statutory provisions affecting commercial and industrial premises are
contained in the Factories Act, 1937, Shops Act, 1950, Food and Drugs Act, 1955, Food
Hygiene Regulations, 1955/57, Merchandise Marks Act, 1926/53, Clean Air Act, 1956, and
Public Health Act, 1936; in addition there are numerous Orders and Regulations.
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