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Sanitary Notices—Legal Proceedings.
During 1954 it was found necessary to institute legal proceedings in only three
cases in order to obtain compliance with notices served by the Sanitary Inspectors
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, and other relevant Acts, Regulations
and Byelaws. In every case the necessary work commenced before the date of
the Police Court hearing and the cases were adjourned sine die.
Water Supply.
The Borough is provided with a domestic water supply entirely by the Metropolitan
Water Board, and samples of the water are regularly subjected to chemical
and bacteriological examination by the Board at its laboratories. The condition
of the water supply during the year was satisfactory both in quality and quantity.
No complaint was received as to the quality of the water.
Local industries are also supplied by the Metropolitan Water Board, and in
addition supplies are taken from eight of the eleven wells in the Borough. The
water from these wells is used for trade purposes and fire fighting.
Drainage.
A total of 460 drainage defects were discovered during the year, and the
Sanitary Inspectors supervised the necessary works of repair and reconstruction.
Officers of the Department carried out 58 smoke tests on suspected defective
private and combined drains, and 30 of these produced positive results; 23 proved
to be sound, and a further five, which also produced positive results, were in respect
of old disused drains which when exposed were permanently sealed off.
Three private drains were cleared during the year, for which a total charge of
£2 17s. 7d. was made. A total of 149 combined drains were inspected and of these
six were found to be defective. In these six cases, after the service of the necessary
notices under Section 40 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, the work of
repair and reconstruction was carried out by the Borough Engineer's Department,
the cost being apportioned among the responsible owners.
Common Lodging Houses.
During the year on the application of the keeper of the common lodging house
at 102 Woolwich High Street, the Council renewed the licence for a period of 12
months. The licence in respect of the only other common lodging house in the
Borough, that at 60 Beresford Street, was renewed for a period of six months only,
expiring on the 31st December, 1954. This was because it was in the Rope Yard
Rails slum clearance area which was, at the time of licensing, awaiting the
Minister's decision.
Dustbins.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1954, which received
the Royal Assent in July, 1954, altered the law in London relating to the provision
of dustbins. Section 11 of that Act gives a Metropolitan Borough Council power
as it thinks necessary to provide, maintain, cleanse and renew dustbins at any
premises in its area, and, if it thinks fit, to make an annual charge for this purpose.
This Act clears up a doubt which has existed until now as to whether a Metropolitan
Borough Council had the right itself to provide dustbins with the option
to make a charge. A Borough Council if it wishes can now provide a dustbin
service for the whole of the Borough or for part of the Borough only. Section 12
of the Act provides that where it appears to a Metropolitan Borough Council that
any house in its district is without a suitable number of dustbins the Council may
serve a notice on the owner of the house requiring him to provide a dustbin of
such material, size and construction as may be specified in the notice. The owner
may appeal to a Court of Summary Jurisdiction on the grounds that the notice or
any requirement thereof is not justified, that the notice might have been served
upon some other person, that it would have been equitable for it to have been
so served, or that any obligation to comply with the requirements of the notice
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