View report page

change of use involved in converting the premises into a maisonette and a flat.
This co-operation with the B.B.C. in producing a programme of great public
interest was a valuable opportunity for these officers to discuss the Council's duties
and responsibilities in a straightforward and helpful manner, and brought these
aspects of the Council's functions to the public notice.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1961
This Act, which came into force in October, 1961, is mainly intended to amend
the provisions of the Public Health Act, 1936, relating to building regulations and
trade effluents, and to deal with public health matters formerly included in local
Acts.
Pigeons
Section 74 of the Act gives local authorities new powers to deal with nuisances
caused by the congregation of pigeons and other birds in the built-up areas. As a
preliminary step the Council entered into a contract with a specialist firm, to deal
with two railway bridges in Perivale, which were very heavily infested with pigeons.
The work in this scheme was completed successfully and at the end of the year these
bridges had been cleared. A further contract for six months was then arranged to
commence in October, for the reduction of the pigeon population in all areas in the
Borough known to be infested to the extent that action was considered desirable.
At the end of the year, the efforts in connection with both contracts resulted in the
destruction of 818 birds.
The methods used are mainly trapping and shooting with the occasional use of
repellents, and all the work is carried out in accordance with the Protection of
Birds Act, 1954, and to the satisfaction of the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals and the local police. The use of narcotics is excluded, owing to
the difficulties associated with the recovery of narcotised birds in such a built-up
area.
Rubbish on vacant sites
Section 34 of the Act gives the local authority power to deal with accumulations
of rubbish on any vacant site in a built-up area, where such rubbish is seriously
detrimental to the amenities of the neighbourhood. There is no provision in the
Section making it necessary for the authority to prove the existence of a public health
nuisance. Two sites have been dealt with during the year, under this Section, and
satisfactory clearance has been obtained, where former powers had been inadequate.
BATHS AND SWIMMING POOLS
The Council's baths in Longfield Avenue contain four indoor swimming pools.
The water is drawn from the mains of the Metropolitan Water Board and is completely
circulated in all four pools every four hours. The treatment plant provides for
flocculation with alum and soda ash prior to filtration, combined with continuous
marginal chlorination of the water as it is drawn from the pools and on its return.
The Baths Manager makes tests at frequent intervals each day to ensure that a satisfactory
level of residual chlorine is maintained. In addition 14 samples were taken
by the Department during the year and sent for bacteriological examination. Results
were generally satisfactory, but tended to indicate that the present chlorinating
equipment is not entirely adequate and should be replaced in the near future with
modern plant capable of providing chlorination by the breakpoint method.
25