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Mosquitoes and Other Pests.
During 1953, a number of complaints was received from all parts of the Borough
of infestations of cockroaches, crickets, beetles, silver fish, etc. Advice was given
in each case and, where necessary, treatment was carried out. Two difficult infestations
were dealt with during the year, one being an infestation of cockroaches
in a large hospital in the Borough and the other of Pharoah's ants in one of the
Council's establishments. Several treatments were necessary in respect of these
infestations before the insects were destroyed. Charges totalling £34 15s. 7d. were
made upon the responsible persons for the treatments carried out.
There were very few complaints during 1953 of wasps nesting in houses or gardens.
Only one nest had to be destroyed, and a charge of 15s. 0d. was made upon the
occupier of the premises concerned.
Floods in Abbey Wood Area, February, 1953.
The severe flooding which occurred during the week-end of 31st January, 1953,
throughout the east coast, affected the Abbey Wood district, following a break in
the river bank east of Crossness. The flooding seriously affected a house in Sewell
Road, and three houses in Harrow Manorway and the works of four factories in
Harrow Manorway. Twenty-six houses or caravans in that area were also flooded,
together with cellars of two shop premises and the ground floors of five houses in
Abbey Terrace. There was also flooding to the back additions of 25 houses in Abbey
Grove. The flood water largely submerged the Council's allotment site north of
the railway.
Arrangements were made for the families affected by the flooding to be given
temporary accommodation. Apart from one family, the occupants of the houses
affected in Abbey Terrace and Abbey Grove did not move from their houses, but
moved temporarily to the top floor. For some days the position was difficult as
there was no sanitary accommodation or cooking facilities available for these families.
The Woolwich Council of Social Service provided meals to those people who desired
them. Chloride of lime was supplied to counteract contamination caused by the
flood water. When the flood water receded, soap and disinfectant were supplied
for use in the work of making the houses fit for occupation again.
The Council made arrangements with the Air Ministry for heaters to be supplied
to enable people to dry out their homes, and four Air Force vans were sent from
Northampton and Norfolk for this work. Prior to their arrival many of the
residents had used coal for drying out purposes, the Mayor having arranged for all
the families affected to receive coal free of charge for a period of four weeks. The
London Fire Brigade also co-operated and pumped out water from basements and
beneath floorboards as required by the Council. In order to prevent further water
entering the affected houses sandbags were supplied by the Borough Engineer's
Department, and members of the Council's staff assisted many of the residents.
Throughout the whole period the local Civil Defence Organisation gave most valuable
assistance.
Public Houses.
The supervision of the hygienic conditions in public houses is an important
duty of the Department. There are 148 licensed premises in the Borough, 45 of
which also serve main meals. 319 inspections were made during the year, and as
a result 80 defects were found requiring the service of 20 informal notices and four
formal notices. All these defects were subsequently remedied.
During the year many improvements were carried out by the brewery companies
concerned, including the installation of additional sanitary accommodation
in 11 instances, improvements in cellar drainage at four of the licensed premises,
the installation of hot water supply to the bar wells in three instances, and general
redecoration and cleansing at a further 17 licensed premises.
Boating and Paddling Pools.
Following chlorination experiments during 1952 to evolve a satisfactory method
of improving the purity of the water in boating and paddling pools in the Borough,
a regular chlorination was continued with the co-operation of the Borough Engineer.
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