[Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanchester R.D.C.

  • Lanchester (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1953] / Medical Officer of Health, Lanchester R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/38 (page 16)
    3. Atmospheric Pollution Our attention was drawn to two major problems in the district ; one, the old-fashioned Coke Works at Langley Park Bye-Products Works and the other, the Healeyfield Smelt Mills at Castleside. In the case of the former, we met representatives of the Management and discussed the situation and it was agreed that a system be adopted which would, while not removing all the smoke produced, considerably reduce it and lesson the inconvenience complained of. In the latter case, because of the situation of these works, the expense of abating the nuisance appeared to the firm to be completely uneconomical and they, therefore, decided to concentrate their work in another area and dis¬ continue using the Lead Furnace at Castleside. The Smoke Deposit Gauge purchased by the Council, together with other two, were sited in the district and proved to be of considerable value. 4. Sanitary Conveniences Twelve privy conversions were carried out during the year. 83 new houses provided a similar number of additional W.C’s. while the clearance of 74 sub¬ standard properties reduced the total of conservancy closets. The revised figures for sanitary accommodation at 31st December, 1953, are as follows :— Water Closets . 4,145 Ash Closets . . . . . 247 Pail Closets . . . . . 12 Privy Ashpits . . . . . 171 Privies . . . . . . 36 Chemical Closets . . 5 5. Housing (a) New Properties : Private Enterprise : Two houses were erected privately during the year, one at Lanchester and the other at Rowley. Prospect House, Lanchester, was converted into two flats, thereby pro¬ viding one additional house. Local authority : During the year, the following Council houses were erected :— Langley Park . 48 Ha ms tec Is . . 21 Castleside . ... 14 (b) Repairs and Reconditioning : A considerable amount of work of improvement was achieved during the year boosted by the adoption of the scheme for improvement grants under Section 20 of the Housing Act, 1949. Seven approved schemes were com¬ menced during the year and, of these, three were completed, as follows :— 1, Millgate Cottages, Ushaw. 1, Esh Hall Farm Cottages. Click-em-in-Farm, Quebec.