[Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Eccles Borough.

  • Eccles (Greater Manchester, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1925
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1925] / Medical Officer of Health, Eccles Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/74 (page 23)
    SANITARY CIRCTJMSTANCES OF THE AREA. The following report on the Sanitarj^ Circumstances of the Area is submitted by Mr. Laskey, Senior Sanitary Inspector. I have the honour to present my 32nd Annual Report of the work done, and action taken, by the Sanitary Staff of the Public Health Department. INSPECTION. The requirements of Section 92 Public Health Act, 1875, are strictly complied with. It is not our practice to wait for complaints, but to seek for such conditions as may give rise to nuisances of minor, as well as serious, character. In i)ractice it is found that quite a large number of people are afraid to com])lain, while an almoist equally numerous body are practically indifferent to con- ditions which ought not to be tolerated. The division of the Borough into three well defined areas— one area being alloted to each Inspector, who is responsible for the maintenance of good sanitary conditions therein,—renders it comparatively easy to discharge the varied duties appertaining to all that falls within the purview of a Sanitary Inspector. The frecjnent inspections at the time of house retu.-ic removal permits of ready and quick access to house premises, and speedy detection of conditions which ought not to exist is thus afforded. It should be stated that the small number of complaints made, testifies to the thoroughness of the work of the Staff. HOUSING. I very much regret to have to report that there is still a great demand for houses suitable for the middle and working classes. Notwithstanding the efforts of the Local Authority which have resulted in the erection of 657 houses on the Westwood Park Estate, and the practical completion of 176 houses in connection with the South East Eccles Area Scheme, the position is almost as bad as immediately after the war. Indeed it has been found absolutely necessary to re-let many houses on the South East Eccles Area which it was intended to close as soon as the original tenants had been provided with other accommodation. At the present moment there is a list of over 1,100 applicants for houses, and, although the list has been closed for some time, applicants arrive daily. The position of many of these people is intolerable. Compelled to occupy lodgings at prohibitive rentals in many instances, the accoimnodation afforded them is altogether inadequate. Families are living and sleeping in one room. In other cases parents and grown up children have to share the same bedroom.