[Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset (England). County Council.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    49/122 (page 45)
    Tlio Radstock lioiisos iiKMitionod in last year's i“e])ort wore eonipleted during I01‘k In all 40 tionses liaA'e Ix'on built upon an area of four aei‘(‘s of land. Ibilike Martoek and all otlier similar eases in Somerset ilie land is not freeliold l)ut only leascdiold for a t(M‘m of 00 years, the ground rent })aid being £‘)2 ])er annum. Tlie houses are in ty'o gi’oups f)f 20 eaeli grou]), consisting of two blocks of 10 houses. Raeh house lias 10 pcu’clies of garden. 44ie first grou}) are alike and consist of ])arlour, kiteluMi, scullery (with bath), larder, coal-cellar, water-closet and three bedrooms. These are let at 5s. Od. })er week, the (\')uncil paying all rates, taxes and water charges. Tliey cost £210 10s. Od. per house to erect and at tliis charge are calculated to be self-su[)poi‘ting. Tlie second group are somewliat smaller, the essential ditlerence being the absence of a parlour and a somewhat different arrangement. They cost £102 15s. Od. each and are let at an inclusive rent of 4s. 6d. per week. When I visited in October last all the larger group houses were let and there had been many more applicants than houses. The smaller group was only in course of erection but several houses were nearly completed. At Taunton a Local Government Board inquiry to borrow £1,722 for the erection of working-class dwellings was held on March 9th, 1913. Consent was obtained and a number of houses were promptly erected, the official opening by the Mayor being on 31st October, 1913. The houses are erected on land just outside the Borough boundary. Twelve houses have been erected each with a living room, scullery and three bedrooms. The rents are 4s., including rates and water, and the houses are estimated to be self- supporting. Each house has a garden 100 feet long by 17 feet. The cost of each house was £142 13s. 4d., inclusive of sewers, fencing and streets. At Minehead a Local Government Board inquiry was held in February to borrow £2,750 for a housing scheme. When I visited Minehead in April, 1914, a number of the houses had been built while others were in course of erection. Eighteen houses are to be provided, 10 being with a living room, scullery and three bedrooms, and eight with living room, scullery and two bedrooms. The weekly rents are 5s. 2d. for the former and 4s. 8d. for the latter, to include rates. The loan for the land was £311 for 80 years and for the buildings £2,439 for 60 years. In Chard a Local Government Board inquiry was held, November 7th, in connection with the Councirs Housing Scheme. The Board’s sanction was subsequently obtained. Building Bye-laws.—In my Annual Report for last year I reported that only three rural districts were without bye-laws extending in all their district. I am glad to be able to report that building bye-laws have now been adopted for Wellington Rural while although not provided last year, I am informed that the Wells Rural Council have adopted bye-laws early in 1914. The only district now without bye-laws is Long Ashton, where they exist in only certain parishes, i.e. the j^arishes of Bishopsworth, Easton-in-Gordano, l^ong Ashton, Nailsea, North Weston, Walton Park and Yatton. The Medical Officer of Health of Long Ashton recommends that “ they should be extended to cover the whole district.” I have repeatedly urged the importance of having building bye-laws in every rural district. SUPERVISION OYER FOOD SUPPLY. A. Blaughter-houses and the Sale of Meat.—In my report for last year a table showing all the existing slaughter-houses in the county was printed and a general account was then given in regard to them. Little or no alteration has taken place since last year.