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Refuse Disposal.
The Public Cleansing Officer has kindly supplied the following
information on refuse disposed of during the year:-
House and Trade Refuse 34,850 tons.
Street and Market Refuse 8,046 tons.
Where possible, refuse collection is carried out by means of
"Paladin" containers, mainly from blocks of flats throughout the Borough.
This method was adopted in 1955, since when over 500 of these containers
have been installed. The Cleansing Department carried out 25,000
cleansings of 5,300 street gullies by means of mechanical gully emptiers.
Rodent Control.
In accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, statistics on rodent control work carried out by the
department were submitted to the Ministry covering the period 1st April,
1958, to 31st March, 1959. During this period 7,713 dwellings and
business premises were inspected, and 1,589 were found to be infested
either by mice or rats. Treatments were carried out by the department's
rodent control staff to 1,354 of the properties found to be infested,
the charges made for servicing business premises amounting to £589.
By the implementation of Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act, 1949, it has been found possible to clear bombed sites of
refuse which would otherwise act as possible harbourage for rats and
other vermin.
Moreover, under the same section, which permits specified works to
be carried out, it has been possible to require sites to be fenced in by
the owners.
Legal proceedings were instituted on three occasions during the
year ending 31st March, 1959, against the owners of sites for failure to
comply with notices served under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act, 1949, requiring them to clear the sites of rat harbourage and
to make suitable provision for enclosing the sites to prevent further
depositing of rubbish.
A copy of the return furnished to the Ministry is on page 56.
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