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10
SANITARY SECTION
Staff
The establishment of Public Health Inspectors includes the Chief Public Health Inspector, the Deputy
Chief Public Health Inspector, eighteen district Inspectors and five pupils. At the beginning of the year there
were no vacancies for Public Health Inspectors. Eight were graded APT. IV; they had at least ten years'
experience and the Smoke Inspector's Certificate in addition to the statutory qualification and the Meat and
Other Foods Certificate. The remainder were graded APT. II and III, depending on whether they had the
statutory qualification only, or the Meat and Other Foods Certificate in addition.
During the year there were four resignations of Inspectors on grades 11 and 111. Following the first
two in the early part of the year advertisements were issued, but no applications were received. The Council
therefore decided to revise the establishment, increasing the number on APT. IV to twelve and leaving six on
APT. II or III. With the exception of one grade APT. II or III post, all vacancies were filled by the end of
the year.
Four pupil Public Health Inspectors were on the staff at the beginning of the year. One qualified
during the year, and one new pupil was appointed, leaving one vacancy.
The Rodent Officer and four operatives are employed in the destruction of rats and mice and two
labourers on vermin disinfestation, disinfection, drain testing and general duties.
SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA
The majority of houses inspected during the year followed complaints from tenants ; there was
no systematic house-to-house inspection. Unfortunately many tenants approach the Public Health Department
only when the defects are serious and costly to remedy.
Demolition and Closing Orders (Table 26)
There were three demolition orders made during the year.
Slum clearance and area redevelopment
During the year the Minister of Housing and Local Government confirmed the Granville Road (south
side)/Carlton Vale/Kilburn Park/Percy/Cambridge Roads Compulsory Purchase Order, which had been the
subject of a public inquiry in the previous year. Surveys were completed of the 1,291 houses in the Stonebridge
Proposed Redevelopment Area, the 732 in the Willesden Green Proposed Improvement Area, and 13 houses
in the Victoria Mews Slum Clearance Area. The survey of the Church Road Comprehensive Redevelopment
Area, bounded by Craven Park, Church Road. Neasden Lane and the L.M.S. Railway line was continued
during the year.
Overcrowding
There has been little change in the extent of overcrowding which still remains acute. Very few
licences under section 80 of the Housing Act, 1957, were issued to perm'it temporary overcrowding (Table 27).
The Housing and Estates Manager has kindly supplied the details of overcrowding in the area,
which have been based mainly on statements of housing applicants (Table 27), and also details of new dwellings
constructed during the year (Table 28).
The waiting list was reviewed in January, 1961. Letters were sent to the 9,665 applicants asking
if they wished to remain on the list; 2,260 replied that they wished to do so and 188 said they wanted their
names removed ; 2,579 letters were returned marked "gone away" or "not known", and 4,638 failed to reply.
Of the total number now on the list (2,260), 443 are recorded as overcrowded.
This does not necessarily mean that the overcrowding position in the borough has improved. The
present proportion of applicants overcrowded is 19%, as compared with 17% before the review. It is probable
that some of those still overcrowded did not reply because of apathy or because they thought they
could not be rehoused for many years.
Notices served under the Public Health Act, 1936 and Housing Act, 1957
There was a slight increase in the number of statutory notices served during the vear compared with
1959 (Table 29).
Details of the inspections carried out during the year are shown in Tables 30 and 31. Five Inspectors
were engaged on special surveys—two on the proposed redevelopment area, one on the proposed improvement
area, and two on the smoke control areas.
Rent Act, 1957
Details of the applications received and the certificates issued up to the end of the year are shown in
Table 32.
Nuisances abated and improvements made
A summary of nuisances abated and improvements made is shown in Table 33.
Inspection of factories, outworkers' premises and food premises
A summary of inspections of the above premises is shown in Table 31.