[Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard R.D.C.

  • Liskeard (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Liskeard R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/28 (page 7)
    During 1956, in spite of the great influx of holidaymakers into the Area, with the resultant large expansion in the catering trade, four cases only of food poisoning were notified. These were amongst visitors who were moving about a good deal, and there was no indication as to where the infection was contracted. I have in previous years written of the importance of maintaining good standards in the holiday catering industry, which is after all one of Cornwall’s principal sources of employment and income. At the risk of appearing tedious or repetitive I should again like to draw the attention of all concerned in this trade to the necessity of continuing to maintain the highest possible standards in spite of the difficulties which I know they have to con¬ tend with in a trade which because of its seasonal nature has to employ considerable numbers of semi-skilled, and unskilled workers. The main activity in the field of water supply has again been in the vicinity of Liskeard where work on the new intake main from the River Fowey to St. Cleer, and on the new treatment plant and storage reservoirs on St. Cleer Downs for the Liskeard and District Water Board continued, and made good progress. Whilst the Water Board was undertaking this work, the Liskeard Rural District Council proceeded with a comprehensive scheme of laying water mains in the southern, and south-western parts of the Rural District. These mains will be ready to function as soon as the bulk supply of treated water becomes available at the Water Board’s new works on St. Cleer Downs — probably in the early autumn of 1957. This new supply when it becomes available will prove a great boon to farms, and private dwellings which up to now have been dependent on local sources liable to failure in dry spells, and of doubtful purity. Towards the end of the year notification was received of the proposal to hold an enquiry into a further section of the scheme to bring piped water to that part of the Rural District lying to the north and north-east of the main works at St. Cleer. In parts of the Area other than the Liskeard Rural District supplies of water were generally adequate and of good quality, and apart from minor problems of distribution, no real difficulties arose. During the latter part of the year discussions between the South-East Cornwall Water Board, and the Liskeard and District Water Board with a view to examining and integrating policy on water supply in this part of the County were initiated. I sincerely hope that these dis¬ cussions will lead to the most effective use of available sources of supply, and to the widest possible distribution of pure piped water in South-East Cornwall. Apart from repairs and improvement to existing local sewage disposal schemes, the only noticeable activity in this field was the completion of the second and final stage of the scheme to serve the large village of St. Germans. The large-scale scheme for the town of Callington, submitted to the appropri¬ ate Ministry at the end of 1955, was finally approved in November 1956 and there is now every reason to hope that a start on actual constructional work will be made in the early summer of 1957. In the Liskeard Rural District schemes to deal with sewage in five villages which were examined and approved in principle by the Ministry as long ago as 1953/54 are still await¬ ing permission for work to commence on them. Enquiries into ways and means of dealing with sewage disposal in the Borough of Liskeard continued and it appears that it may soon be possible to prepare a final scheme to deal with the large-scale and increasing nuisance caused by the discharge of crude sewage into the East Looe river. In concluding this general preface to my Annual Report for 1956 I should again like to express my gratitude for the help and ready co-operation I have at all times received from the various Officers of the District Councils