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16
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR
for the year 1954
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20.
12th May, 1955.
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-seventh Annual Report
on the work of the Sanitary Inspectors for the year ended 31st December, 1954.
During the year 731 complaints (excluding those in connection with rodent
infestation) were received, the great majority being concerned with housing defects
and nuisances. All complaints were investigated and appropriate action taken
when found necessary.
Applications for certificates of disrepair were received in respect of 36
premises.
In addition to verbal intimation of defects in premises, 493 written informal
notices and 60 statutory notices were served under the Public Health Act, 1936.
433 intimation notices and 56 statutory notices were complied with.
The Local Authority, in default of the owners, had carried out works required
by one statutory notice served under Section 94, Public Health Act, 1936, and three
notices served under Section 75.
The Council also did the work required by 7 notices served under Section 24,
Public Health Act, 1936, respecting defective public sewers (previously known
as combined drains) at 10 premises.
The amount of repair work done following action taken by your Inspectors
will be seen on reference to the summary of work executed.
Every endeavour is made informally to have notices complied with before
statutory action is taken. In twenty-four premises, however, repairs were not
executed until legal proceedings against the owners or agents were either
threatened or taken.
It was found necessary to institute legal proceedings against the owners or
agents of 11 properties in order to abate nuisances caused by housing defects,
with the following results:—