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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 34,516 Tons
Street and Market Refuse 8,518 "
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 600 of these containers
have been installed. The Cleansing Department carried out 30,779 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 only the 9 months
period 1st April, 1959, to 31st December, 1959. During this period
4,899 dwellings and business premises were inspected, and 1,102 were
found to be infested either by mice or rats. Treatments were carried
out by the department's rodent control staff to 941 of the properties
found to be infested, the charges made for servicing business premises
amounting to £583.
By the implemcrtation 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. Default action was taken by the Council regarding two
such sites, and the cost of removing refuse and fencing the sites was
charged to the owners thereof.
Legal proceedings were instituted on three occasions during the
9 months ended 31st December, 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 64.
Section 11 of the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949, made
provision for a grant of 50^ to the Council of expenditure incurred in
the eradication of rats and mice, but by virtue of Section 4 of the
Local Government Act, 1958, the grant ceased on 31st March this year.
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