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42
Premises where animals improperly kept were
removed or improved 2
Offensive accumulations removed 52
Urinals cleansed or repaired 2
Piggeries repaired or improved 7
Houses or parts disinfected and cleansed 354
Smoke nuisances abated 5
Houses at which drains were reconstructed or
new provided 3
Drains repaired, cleansed, trapped or ventilated 154
The disastrous explosion which took place at Messrs. Bush's
distillery in March resulting in the demolition of 19 houses, the
rendering of 14 houses temporarily uninhabitable and seriously
damaging a much larger number of houses in the immediate vicinity,
entailed a large amount of work in preparing specification of repairs,
the service of notices and duplications on the owner of the houses
and subsequent legal proceedings in 17 cases. Fortunately the rain
held off during the long wait for repairs or many more families
would have been forced to vacate their houses. There has also
been an appreciable amount of work in gathering particulars in
connection with Clearance Areas and Demolition Orders.
Caravan yards have received considerable attention during the
year. There are 19 such yards in the district, accommodating from
one to 14 caravans, and populated by 251 persons. Action was
taken in the High Court in connection with one recently formed
caravan yard in Lewis Road with a view to its discontinuance, with
favourable results (see under legal proceedings on page 29). Action
has also been taken under the Surrey County Council Act, 1932, to
effect a reduction in the number of caravans in two of the yards
in Western Road. Eighty-seven visits have been paid to these
yards and nuisances were found on 16 occasions ; these were abated
after service of notices or by verbal request. One van was grossly
overcrowded, verminous and unfit for human habitation, was vacated
and voluntarily destroyed by burning.
Seven applications were received and granted for certificates
under the Rent Restriction Acts, five being from the explosion area.