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53
REPORT OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR
P.E. KINTON. M.A.P.H.I.. M.R.S.H.
The year under review has proved to be the most depressing since the
formation of the authority as staff have been attracted away by higher
salaries offered by other authorities and it has not been possible to recruit
replacements due to the high cost of housing. As a consequence a
very heavy burden has been thrust upon the remainder of the staff and it
would be idle to pretend that the department had maintained the standard
it attained in previous years.
In spite of this the department has achieved a great deal. The smoke
control programme has been pursued and work is now progressing in the
Surbiton area, the department fully co-operated in the massive London House
Improvement campaign and has dealt with the enormous number of enquiries
which ensued and processed many more improvement grant applications than
previously. In food hygiene the number of inspections carried out was 2337
compared with 2567 in the previous year. All this has been achieved by
hard work, often long after normal office hours by the Public Health
Inspectors and Technical Assistants.
Much which ought to be done has been delayed but it is most encouraging
to report that the staffing position has greatly improved since the
establishment was altered,,
During the latter part of the year Mr. G.C. Smith, Deputy Chief Public
Health Inspector, was taken ill and by the time this report is published he
will have retired prematurely. It is fitting to pay tribute to his work
not only for this authority but with the former Royal Borough of Kingston
upon Thames when he was Chief Public Health Inspector and to express the
hope that he will recover and enjoy his retirement.
As in the past years, concern for the environment has become even more
popular with the general public and a study of the statistics will reveal
the department's contribution to securing and maintaining safe and healthy
conditions.
Attention is drawn to the house condition survey and the mouse survey
which were carried out during the year. Although such exercises are time
consuming they do add to our knowledge and enable the work of the department
to be measured.
Objectives for the future.
Continued progress with the smoke control programme.
The introduction of grants to protect those members of the public who
become affected by traffic noise and increased liaison with the Borough
Planning Officer to prevent noise nuisance at the planning stage of
noise producing industrial and commerical development and the possible
formation of noise control areas.