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103
results thereof have induced owners to either reduce the
number of occupants or to make the necessary provisions
without recourse to statutory action.
Applications for re-housing based on medical priorities
amounted to 102 in 1965 in consequence of visits and reports
by the Public Health Inspectors on the home circumstances
obtaining and as a consequence of consultation with the
private medical practitioners and/or the hospital authority.
Perhaps the most serious problem relating to housing
conditions occurring in the Borough during 1965 arose out of
the use of land within the Borough by itinerants occupying an
assortment of caravans both mechanically and horse propelled,
principally the former. These so called "gypsies" occupied
various sites within the Borough and many visits were made
by the Public Health Inspectors thereto to ensure that the
sanitary circumstances arising from the occupation of these
sites was satisfactory. It is unfortunate that the occupiers of
these movable dwellings are ignorant of the most elemental
of hygiene conditions. Many of the caravans are overcrowded,
lack water supply, food storage accommodation and proper
sanitary conveniences with the result that the occupants
deposit much waste matter, faecal, animal and vegetable, on
the land they occupy, they leave a great deal of refuse behind
them and cause considerable nuisances to occupiers of adjacent
premises with their demand for water and the use of
sanitary facilities. They trespass without hindrance on other
people's land, damage fences, hedges and trees which results
in a continuing number of complaints from the persons who
suffer by the depredations of these itinerants. Efforts to solve
the problem by carrying out inspections of premises after
serving a 24 hour notice of such intention on the occupiers and
the service of a preliminary notice has the salutary effect of
causing them to move the caravans. This, however, merely
provides a temporary alleviation of the nuisances for they
transfer them to another site, in many cases they lodge
themselves on Council property when speedy action can be
taken to remove them by towing them off the land and depositing
them on the highway, due care being taken of both person and
property, but where the land is in public ownership, controlled
by a Central Government Department which is unwilling to
take any steps to prevent nuisances being created on land
under their jurisdiction, then the problem is amplified simply
because this type of itinerant, who is permitted to stay without
let or hindrance on land abutting the public highway,