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16
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR
for the year 1952.
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20.
June, 1953.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Penge.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to place before you my twenty-fifth Annual Report
on the work of the Sanitary Inspectors for the year ended 31st December, 1952.
Some owners of property are very reluctant to execute repairs and in
consequence occupiers are compelled to lodge complaints with the department for
action to be taken to improve the conditions under which they live. During
the year 957 complaints (excluding those in connection with rodent infestation)
were received, the majority being concerned with housing defects. All complaints
are investigated and appropriate action taken when found necessary.
The cost of executing repairs is considerably higher than in 1939, and when
one considers that the standard rents (excluding rates) of houses are the same
now as in that year, it is perhaps not surprising to find owners reluctant to carry
out the same amount of work as they formerly did.
In addition to verbal intimation of defects in premises, 569 written informal
notices and 118 statutory notices were served under the Public Health
Act, 1936. Four hundred and fifty-one intimation notices and 108 statutory
notices were complied with.
The Local Authority, in default of the owners, had carried out the works
required by one statutory notice served under Section 94 of the Public Health
Act, 1936, two notices served under Section 75, six notices served under Section
39, and one notice under Section 138.
The Council also did the work required by 12 notices served under
Section 24 of the Public Health Act, 1936, respecting defective public sewers
(previously known as combined drains) at 15 premises.
A large amount of repair work has been done following action taken by
your Inspectors, as will be seen on reference to the list of work executed.
It is only after every endeavour has been made informally to have notices
complied with that statutory action is taken.
In some cases delay was again experienced in getting repairs executed
owing to prolonged negotiations between owners and the War Damage
Commission.