[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashington U.D.C.

  • Ashington (Northumberland, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashington U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Drainage. 190 drainage systems were constructed, reconstructed or repaired during the year, and these were all tested and approved by the department. The large amount of new drainage work was mainly due to the number of private and colliery house improvements carried out. Sewerage. Arrangements for sewerage and sewage disposal in the district are reasonably adequate at present, with the exception of Woodhorn Village, consisting of about 15 dwellings, which is still without a modern sewage disposal system. A new scheme has been planned, but has been deferred pending investigations into the future development of the area. Swimming Baths. The swimming baths belong to the Ashington Miners Welfare Institute, but are available to the general public as well as to Institute Members, and are open from April to September each year. The water used is from the main water supply, and is treated bv continuous chlorination and continuous filtration. Five bacteriological samples of the baths water were taken during the year, and all but one were reported to be satisfactory. Regular sampling and testing is also undertaken by the Scientific Department of the National Coal Board in Ashington and copies of the Reports are made avail- able to this department. This co-operation is much appreciated. Schools. All schools in the district have a main water supply and a water carriage system. The new Grammar school was completed during the year and further new schools are contem- plated. Cinemas and Public Buildings. Routine inspection of all such buildings was carried out during the year. Atmospheric Pollution. In many parts of the country, smoke control areas are now in operation, and many more areas are being surveyed and prepared for the complete banishment of smoke emission. Ashington has as yet, made no purposeful approach to the problem, but it is hoped that the Council will give consideration to the countless benefits of Clean Air, and decide that the time has now arrived for the implementation of the Clean Air Act, 1956. The Council will shortly be able to ensure, by Byelaw, that only approved appliances capable of burning smokelessly, are provided for heating or cooking in new buildings. We should also ensure that only such approved appliances are installed both in new council houses and older houses where worn-out fireplaces have to be renewed. The purpose of the Byelaw is not only to facilitate smoke abatement but also to protect the occupier from expenditure when smoke control areas are declared, as no grant will be payable for the conversion of fireplaces in the case of dwellings erected after July 1956. This, of course, will also apply to council owned dwellings. The trial acre of tree planting on the Washery Heaps has now been shown to be an undoubted success, and while no extension of the scheme has yet been carried out, it is fully expected that with the co-operation of the Area General Manager and his Senior Officials, a further area will be plan- ted in the near future. The disgusting habit of “accidentally” allowing the chimney of the dwelling house to go on fire still continues, to the unhappy detriment of s iffering neighbours, and one feels that the penalty for this action should be severe enough to deter the selfish and anti-social individuals who continue such “accidents”.