View report page

III. SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES
The Borough is divided into 11 Sanitary Inspectors'
districts, and the Tables on pages 64 and 65 give summaries
of inspections made and insanitary conditions remedied during
the year by the District Sanitary Inspectors. New legislation
which includes the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954,
and the Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952, (which
came fully into operation only this year), threw additional
duties on the staff. No less than 1,227 Statutory Notices
were served under the various Acts and Byelaws during the
year, and in 127 cases legal proceedings had to be resorted
to in order to enforce compliance with the Notices.
Atmospheric Pollution.
Last year two stations were set up in the Borough for
the measurement and recording of atmospheric pollution.
Each station consists of a deposit gauge which collects grit,
ash, etc., and a lead peroxide instrument which measures sulphur
activity. Monthly readings continued to be taken during
the year and the results were forwarded to the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research. The results of the
monthly readings at the Stepney stations and, for comparison,
those of the.highest and lowest in London will be found in
Table 5 on page 63.
Twenty-five complaints of industrial smoke nuisance were
received during the year, and observations kept on pranises
numbered 108.
Complaints received relating to Public Health Nuisances.
3,949 complaints were received in the Office during the
year, but in addition numerous complaints were made directly
to the District sanitary Inspectors. The number of visits
made by them in investigating complaints was 8,129.
Dangerous Structures.
The District Surveyor of the London County Council was
notified on 301 occasions of premises or parts of premises
alleged to be structurally dangerous.
srepair Certificates.
The Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954, which came into
force on 30th August, 1954, dealt with among other things the
permission of repairs increases in respect of controlled
dwellings and made other amendments to the Rent and Mortgage
Interest (Restrictions ) Acts, 1920-1939.
22