View report page

Tents, vans and sheds. Apart from the provisions of the
Public Health Act 1936 dealing with these premises, bye-laws have
been made under the powers conferred by the Municipal Corporations
Act, 1882.
There are no approved fair-grounds or licensed campinggrounds
within the borough. The chief difficulty arises from
travelling showmen occupying sites in contravention of the byelaw
prohibiting such action within two hundred yards of any
street or dwelling house. This chiefly occurs during the winter
off-season. During the year 97 visits were made. Legal proceedings
were taken in 8 cases for breaches of the bye-laws. It
has been generally found that the conditions of the van dwellings
and of the sites they occupy are exceptionally good, and no offence
has arisen apart from the breach of the bye-laws.
Underground rooms. The number of such rooms in the
borough is not large, and very few of those existing are occupied
apart from the rooms above. They vary so much in character and
facilities that it is impossible to generalise about their conditions;
but it can be said that by action under the Housing Act, by means
of which many have been diverted from use for living purposes,
the standard has been considerably raised. Every effort is made
to secure their closure, or failing that, to ensure that such rooms
are not used for sleeping purposes.
During the year 72 special inspections of basement dwellings
were made, resulting in 39 Closing Orders being made under
section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936.
Nuisances. During the year 6,923 notices were served for
the abatement of nuisances, in addition to which many defects were
remedied after verbal representations. In respect of such notices
it was found necessary to institute proceedings in 809 cases.
Many people are under the impression that the department
can deal with noises arising from the keeping of animals, running
machinery, or loud speakers, and many complaints—verbal and
written—were received of such nuisances. This department has
no power to deal with any of these conditions.
Verminous houses. During the year it was found necessary
to serve 48 notices in respect of verminous houses, and in
every case the action taken was successful.
323