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Premises and Occupations which can be Controlled by Bye-Laws or Regulations.
(1) Houses Let in Lodgings.—Reference to this subject is made later in the report.
(2) Offensive Trades.—Vide Annual Health Report, 1919, pp. 26 and 27.
Effluvium Nuisance—Burning Rubber.—Early in February, 1920, and on subsequent dates,
letters were received by the Health Department from residents, particularly in the Harlesden district,
complaining of suffocating fumes and the nauseating stench of burning rubber, occurring usually
between two and three o'clock in the morning.
After many efforts, the source of this nuisance was ultimately traced to a factory in Acton,
where old worn out motor tyres were used for kindling ten furnaces.
A letter was sent to the owners of the factory calling upon them to abate the nuisance by
ceasing to burn this rubber product at their works. The owners failed to comply, and the Council,
acting upon the advice of their Solicitor, applied to the High Court of Justice for an Injunction to
restrain the defendants from permitting or suffering to be kindled at their factory, fires with rubber
or with rubber products causing effluvia therefrom, so as to be a nuisance or injury to the public.
As a result of this action, the defendants gave a perpetual undertaking not to use rubber or rubber
products for their furnaces, each party paying their own costs.
(3) Common Lodging Houses.—Vide Annual Health Report, 1919, p. 27.
(4) Underground Sleeping Rooms.—Regulations governing underground sleeping rooms
were made by the Council in 1913. The Annual Report of that year contains a full reprint of the
same. Work under these regulations has been in suspense during the year owing to the insufficient
staff of inspectors employed and the lack of housing accommodation for families displaced while
the necessary alterations to the basement rooms are being carried out.
(5) Prevention of Nuisances.— The Council at its meeting on 28th December, 1920,
approved new Bye-Laws for the Prevention of Nuisances, including nuisances caused by the keeping
of pigs and other animals, to replace their original Bye-laws, dated 1876. These bye-laws now await
the confirmation of the Ministry of Health.
(6) Slaughter Houses.—During 1920 the Council revised its Slaughter House Bye-Laws,
incorporating therein the model clauses of the Ministry of Health relating to the "Humane killing
of Animals in Slaughter Houses." Before the Health Committee definitely adopted these special
clauses, they asked the trade in Willesden for their observations. The Trade was in agreement
with the use of mechanically operated instruments for the killing of beasts, but was of opinion that
the use of such instruments was not successful in the killing of small animals, such as sheep, pigs,—
etc. The " Humane Clauses " were accordingly amended in order to apply only to the slaughtering
of cattle with a mechanically operated instrument.
The Bye-laws in their final form were approved by the Council on December 28th, 1920,
and are now awaiting the confirmation of the Ministry of Health.
(7) Public Decency.—A Memorial signed by residents of Priory Park Road, nearest to,
or adjoining the High Road, Kilburn, was received by the Council, complaining of the use of the
passage way known as Glengall Passage and of the entrance lobbies of their private residences, as
public conveniences.
The matter was considered by the Health Committee, who instructed that the Commissioner
of Police be communicated with on the subject, with a view of the Police taking steps against any
person whom they might find committing a nuisance. The Commissioner of Police replied, that owing
to the absence of any Bye-law in Willesden dealing with this class of offence, the efforts of the Police
were necessarily hampered, and pointing out that the London County Council have in operation a
Bye-law dealing with Public Decency under which the Metropolitan Police are able to take action
in the Metropolis.
The Home Office have issued the following Model Bye-law:—
" No person shall in any street or public place, to the annoyance of residents or passengers,
commit any nuisance contrary to public decency or propriety."
The Council at its meeting on the 28th December, 1920, passed a resolution, asking the Middlesex
County Council to take steps to make the above Bye-law applicable to Willesden.
(8) Houses Let-in-Lodgings.—During the year 1920, draft Bye-laws relating to houses letin-lodgings
in pursuance of Section 26, Housing and Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, based on the
Model Bye-laws of the Ministry of Health, were prepared and submitted to the Health Committee.
The draft Bye-laws were also considered by the Legal, Parliamentary and Bye-la\vs Committee, and
the Solicitor of the Council was instructed to obtain from the Ministry of Health an interpretation
of their definition of the term Lodging House in the Model Series. The reply of the Ministry to
the Solicitor's enquiry was not deemed by the Legal, Parliamentary and Bye-laws Committee to be
satisfactory, and on their recommendation, the Council at its meeting on 28th December, 1920, passed
the following resolution:—
That the proposed Bye-laws relating to houses let-in-lodgings be not adopted by the
Council, pending the issue of further Model Bye-laws by the Ministry of Health,
containing a more specific definition as to the premises to which it is intended such
Bye-laws shall apply.