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99
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
by S. R. Daly, Ll.M., B.Sc., D.P.A.(Lond.), Barrister-at-Law
Chief Public Health Inspector
In presenting my third report on Environmental Health for
the London Borough of Redbridge, I have endeavoured to alter
the layout from previous years with slightly less emphasis on
the various Acts and Regulations which it is the duty of my
department to administer.
In this age of amalgamation and larger units the passage of
time is so fast that the preparation of one report seems to
Immediately follow its predecessor, and I put forward the
suggestion that local authorities should send their "annual
report writing officers" to a remote spot for a period of meditation!
However, during 1967 your Public Health Inspectors have
continued to keep a vigilant eye on the environmental health of
the residents in the borough by means of routine inspections
and investigations of complaints. A balance sheet shows
that we have had a successful year. On the credit side three
more smoke control areas came into operation; the slum
clearance programme has been amended; 4 Clearance Areas
have been represented and 5 Individual unfit houses dealt with.
Constant Inspection of food supplies and premises, and
Increased sampling of food stuffs for adulteration, mis-description
and for bacteriological purity took place.
On the debit side, gypsies and fellow travellers are still
entrenched and continued to foul the Woodford Avenue verge
and presented a constant health hazard. One noise nuisance
has caused considerable trouble during the year, but is likely
to be finally abated in the near future.
These are a few of the many branches of our work which
come to mind but as you fight your way through the details
which follow, it will be clear that despite a shortage of two or
three Inspectors for most of the year, a reasonable standard
of routine inspection has been maintained.
Although at most Committee meetings I present a formidable
list of properties for statutory notices, I would stress that
these are a very small percentage of the total informal notices
and letters sent to owners and traders which are complied with
without resort to statutory action. This has been particularly
noticeable in the case of houses In multi-occupation where on
receipt of an informal letter the owners concerned have indicated
their willingness to comply with our requirements.