London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Sutton and Cheam 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Sutton and Cheam]
This page requires JavaScript
Local Authorities will under this procedure be able to require the
abatement of a noise or vibration nuisance by the service of an abatement
notice on the person causing the nuisance or on the owner or occupier of
premises on which it arises and if the notice is not complied with it can be
enforced by proceedings in a magistrates court. Apart from action by a
local authority, three or more occupiers of land or premises who are
aggrieved by a noise or vibration nuisance may make a complaint to a
magistrate.
Section 2 of the Act deals with the use of loudspeakers in streets.
It prohibits their use for any purpose between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. (except in
special circumstances) and at any other time for advertising any trade,
business or entertainment with the exception that between noon and 7 p.m.
a loudspeaker fixed to a vehicle used for the sale of perishable foodstuffs
may be operated to announce that the commodities are for sale. The
loudspeaker is, however, not to be so operated as to give reasonable cause
for annoyance to persons in the vicinity.
Four complaints of noise were investigated and abated during the year.
Disinfection and Disinfestation
| Council Houses | Private Houses | Other Premises | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of houses treated with insecticide for bugs and fleas | 1 | 21 | - |
Nineteen school canteen kitchens and ten hospital kitchens were
sprayed for flies, ants and moths.
The insecticides used were Pybuthrin, D.D.T. Residual and Municipal
Spray, Gammexane Liquid Spray, Zaldecide M. Powder and Fumex Fumigators.
RODENT CONTROL
The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949
A. Surface Treatments
(1) 6071 visits were made during the year by the Rodent Operator and 851
by the Public Health Inspectors to premises infested or possibly harbouring
rats or mice.
576 premises were cleared of rats or mice and no major infestations
were recorded.
(2) The work for the year is generally summarised as under:-
Complaints received or cases discovered and investigated589
Number of premises found to be infested 568
Number of premises where no evidence of rodents found 21
Number of premises cleared of rats or mice (including 82
previous year's cases) 576
Number of premises still being treated at the year end 74
39