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In 1954 the Benfleet U.D.C. first applied to the Port Health Authority for the issue of
"temporary consents" in respect of the mooring of 40 house boats. This application was
granted. In 1955 there were 36 such applications, in 1956 22 applications. In 1957 and 1958
these applications dropped to 15 and 16 respectively. In 1959 however, 23 such applications were
received. The reason for this increase is considered to be that although the number of house
boats permanently used as dwellings continued to decrease, a number of cabin cruisers, mainly
inhabited at weekends, began to moor off Benfleet. The Benfleet U.D.Cs.' applications for
many of these consents stipulated that the "house boats" in question would not be used for
permanent habitation.
In view of these figures it is suggested that the Benfleet U.D.C. have done very well in the
past few years by eliminating so many unsatisfactory house boats, particularly in face of considerable
expense and the opposition they have met in the Courts and from local interests.
The policy now pursued is to consider the West Creek as a haven for house boats in reasonable
condition and to grant temporary "consents" to their mooring there if they are up to a
reasonable standard of fitness for human habitation.
There is no doubt that the Council's long term policy is ultimately to eliminate all house
boats used for permanent residence in this area but this policy has to be pursued gradually.
Each year applications for "consents" are investigated most carefully with a view to refusing
them if at all possible.
Lastly, it should be remembered that the Benfleet Council have to provide permanent housing
accommodation for all those who are cleared permanently from house boats in either creek.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1936, PART X - CANAL BOATS
One hundred and seventy-five inspections of canal boats were made during the year. Fortysix
canal boats were found to have a total of seventy-three defects, as follows
No. of defects
Cabin in need of cleaning and/or painting 27
Defective condition of cabin top and/or sides 22
Defective condition of cabin hatch doors 2
Defective flooring 4
Defective bulkheads 4
Defective cupboards 1
Excessive condensation due to inadequate ventilation and/or
insulation 5
Inadequate ventilation 1
Defective flue pipe to cooking range 2
Absence of, or defective, bilge pump 3
Bug infestation 2
Total 73
The owners and Master of the defective craft were in each case notified and required to
carry out the necessary repairs.
The following infringements of the Act were also found:—
Certificate of Registration not produced 13
Registration marks on boat obliterated or illegible 12
Registration mark on boat incorrect 1
Total 26
The owners and Master were informed of the requirements of the Act in this respect.
DANGEROUS DRUGS
During the year seventeen certificates authorising the purchase of scheduled Dangerous Drugs
were issued under the Dangerous Drugs Regulations, 1953, Regulation 13 (2) of which is as
follows
(a) The master of a foreign ship which is in a port in Great Britain shall be authorised to
procure such quantity of drugs and preparations as may be certified by the medical
officer of health of the port health authority within whose jurisdiction the ship is or, in
his absence, by the assistant medical officer of health, to be necessary for the equipment
of the ship until it reaches its home port.
(b) A person who supplies a drug or preparation in accordance with a certificate given under
this paragraph shall retain the certificate and mark it with the date on which the drug or
preparation was supplied and keep it on his premises so as to be at all times available
for inspection.
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