Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector.

Lee, William, 1774 or 1775-1853.

Date:: 1849

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town of the Ashby-de-la-Zouch / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$fi-om being again polluted. I have no hesitation, however, in saying, that a great improvement would be effected by arching it from the Ivanhoe-road through the town, and di- verting . its course, at the same time, near the Green, in the direction marked out on the plan already alluded to. A large quantity of land would also be gained, in the most valu- able part of the town by this means ; but I am unable to con- sider fully in a Preliminary Report the negotiations and arrangements which would have to be entered into between the local Board of Health, the lord of the manor, and the owners of adjoining property, all of which arrangements would affect materially the public cost of the work. Improved Pavements.—I have already adverted to the manner of paving the public highways, and expressed an opinion that a gTeat saving might be ejected. Very few of the public footpaths are flagged, owing to the great cost of the materials. I would recommend the use of concrete, made of coal ashes, gravel, and gas tar; this would form a durable and impervious pavement at an average of Is. per square yard, or less than one-sixth the price of flagstones. The court-yards are almost entirely unpaved; some are literally quagmires; and most of them saturated with animal and vegetable refuse, from which unwholesome evaporation is continually being evolved. All these should be paved with similar concrete, which could be laid down sufficiently strong, where there are no carriages, at 9fZ. or \0d. per yard. Assuming that the public highways would even cost as much as they now do, and the paving of the courts to be an additional charge for sanitary purposes, we may allow the large quantity of 48 square yards of concrete to every house. At \()d. this would amount to '2Z., for which the charge, distributed over 30 years, would be one halfimnny per week. Actual Money saving from Improved Works.—We are now in a condition to compare the existing charges with those which a working-man may expect under an improved state of things. It has been already shown, that the present defective water supply alone cannot be reckoned at less than ^\d. per week ; while the proposed works, being constructed on a large and economical scale, will cost only \d. per week for water ; with \d. for drainage, and \d. for court paving. If we add another \d. for surface cleansing with the hose and jets of water, there will remain a balance of 2iJ. per week in favour of sanitary im- provements ; irrespective of the improved health and greater happiness; lengthened life, and increased ability to labour; which, after all, should be the chief considerations. The comparatively small cost of the works is owing to the [29.] D$