[Report 1973] / Medical Officer of Health, Axbridge R.D.C.

  • Axbridge (Somerset, England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1973
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1973] / Medical Officer of Health, Axbridge R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/14 (page 6)
    REFUSE C^LL^TjEON and DISPOSAL Disposal of ordinary'- household refuse continued on the controlled tip at Axbridge, whilst bulky refuse was tipped in Banwell Quarry. It might be expected that the availability of these free services would remove the inclination of some people to deposit their rubbish in public places, but it was our regular task in lane and. lay-by to clear these dumps which despoil the countryside. The Department operates a fleet of 8 refuse vehicles and in the latter part of the year the collection routes were altered to take account of the nev/ County boundaries. The servicing and maintenance of all the Council's vehicles ms also rationalised and based on the Moorland Street Depot. House refuse is removed by the individual householder and the cesspits emptied periodically in the same manner. It is desirable that the village dumps containing sundry old tins and other refuse be regularly removed (l923). Orders investing the Council with powers for removal of household refuse have been applied for in respect of Cheddar and Wins combe (l 929) • A refuse collection scheme for 15 parishes in the North Marsh was initiated utilising the nev; 10 cubic yard covered vehicle to give a fortnightly service (l 939) • The total collapse in the demand for salvaged bottles and jars, etc. was unexpected, but it is apparently now more economical to manufacture new glassware than to collect, sort, wash, sterilise and return to circulation the used article (l 9A8) . It is disheartening to stand on the refuse tip and see masses of paper which could have been burned,vegetable matter which could have been composted or fed to pigs and chickens, also cinders which could have been sifted from ash to supplement our scarce fuel supplies. If all house- holders put out only bottles, tins and ashes, the amount of refuse to be collected would fall by one third (i 953) • CIVIL AMENITIES ACT A contractor operating a car-breaking business from part of Banwell Quarry removes and disposes of cars abandoned in the District. 23 vehicles were dealt -with in this my, but the legal formalities associated with actual abandonment and the tracing of owners tend to make this a long drawn out procedure. CLEAN _ AIR... ACT 2 applications for the approval of chimney heights were dealt with. The possible pollution problems associated with the new Battscombe Quarry lime-burning project were reviewed in consult ion with H.M. Alkali Inspectorate, the County Council and the firm itself. The modern kiln, with electrostatic precipitators, plus improved dust suppression in the nev/ stone-handling equipment, could well result in a lower total dust escape from the Quarry activities, and A monitoring stations have already been set up to record background precipitation levels as a basis for comparison later. There were 5 complaints of smoke arising from the burning of trade refuse, but in only 2 instances was sufficient evidence obtained to