ABINGDON AND FARINGDON DISTRICTS / JOINT PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT Joint Public Health Committee Members 1968-69 ABINGDON BOROUGH D. C. Fathers, Esq., 221 Radley Road, Abingdon. S. Jones, Esq., 95 Oxford Road, Abingdon. ABINGDON RURAL DISTRICT C. E. Hart, Esq., 102 Cumnor Hill, Oxford. C. Jordan, Esq., 29 Bagley Wood Road, Kennington. W. T. Palmer, Esq., 4 Cumnor Rise Road, Cumnor Hill, Oxford. (Chairman). J. G. Talboys, Esq., 89 Foxborough Road, Radley, Abingdon. F. E. Woods, Esq., 139 The Avenue, Kennington. FARINGDON RURAL DISTRICT G. A. Eyre-Brook, Esq., Gorse Farm, Little Coxwell, Faringdon. P. A. Charters, Esq., Alyn House, Ashbury, Nr. Swindon. R. E. J. Liddiard, Esq., Church Farm, Baulking, Faringdon. COUNTY COUNCIL D. W. Lansdown, Esq., Hatford House, Faringdon. J. C. Norris, Esq., 16 Norman Avenue, Abingdon. Public Health Staff Medical Officer of Health Norman Parfit, M.A., B.M., B.Ch. (Oxon), D.P.H. (Lond). 66 Bath Street, Abingdon. (Telephone 361). Public Health Inspectors ABINGDON BOROUGH COUNCIL Chief Public Health Inspector: Gifford Saffin, F.A.P.H.I., F.R.S.H., The Abbey House, Abingdon. (Telephone 851). Additional Public Health Inspectors: D. M. Faulkner, M.A.P.H.I. K. Smith, M.A.P.H.I. ABINGDON RURAL DISTRICT Chief Public Health Inspector: T. G. Evans, MA.P.H.I., F.R.S.H. 66 Bath Street, Abingdon. (Telephone 361). Senior Additional Public Health Inspector: D. H. Ratcliff, M.A.P.H.I., M.R.S.H. Additional Public Health Inspector: N. M. Newton, M.A.P.H.I., M.R.S.H. General Assistant: S. G. Burt. FARINGDON RURAL DISTRICT Senior Public Health Inspector: H. E. Tolman, M.A.P.H.I., M.R.S.H., Council Offices, Faringdon. (Telephone 2296). TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE ABINGDON AND FARINGDON DISTRICTS JOINT HEALTH COMMITTEE Ladies and Gentlemen, I beg to present my annual report for 1968. May 1 again begin by expressing my sincere thanks to the Chair- man and Councillors of the Authorities that I serve who have been so friendly and helpful, to the general Practitioners and Nurses of the area for their support and co-operation, and most of all to the Public Health Inspectors for their continued loyalty, industry and cheerful efficiency in carrying out the great volume and variety of tasks referred to in this report. Ln my last report I avoided even a mention of the word ‘fluoride’, but the need for it has again been brought to the forefront by a letter from the Department of Health, urging Local Health Auth- orities to put it into operation, and drawing attention to the Report of the Fluoridation Studies and the Results Achieved after Eleven Years. (See Summary “Our Teeth” published by the Health Education Council enclosed). For the newcomers to the subject a few basic facts must first be stated. ‘Fluoridation’ is the adjustment in our water supply of the natural fluoride in which it is deficient up to the level of one part of fluoride to one million parts of water (1 p.p.m.). Whenever this has been done (or been found to be the case in nature) in many different countries, including our own, dental decay in children has been greatly reduced, usually by more than one half. The numbers involved are not small. In the U.S. alone, 80 million are now drinking such water, of whom 47 million have done so for over 10 years, 22 million for over 15 years, and 7 million, in natural areas, for all their lives. To date not one single case of disease or illness has been found to be due to fluoridation. On the contrary, evidence is growing that fluoridation reduces bone fractures in old people, and reduces the hardening of arteries. As long as 12 years ago, fluoridation was commended by every national medical, dental, or related scientific body having competence in this field in the Anglo-Ameri- can world. Two years ago the House of Lords were told that the number of scientific papers written on the safety of fluoridation exceeded 3,000, and a few months ago 32 nations, including Great Britain, U.S.A., and Russia, sponsored a resolution which was passed unanimously by the General Assembly of the World Health Organisation, calling on all member states to introduce fluoridation. Finally, fluoridation adds no taste, smell, or colour, has no effect on any industrial process, is accurately controlled, and is ridiculously cheap (less than 6d. per head per year in Watford and Anglesey, and less than 3d. in Birmingham). For the past seven years successive Ministers of Health have been urging the Authorities to let our children have the benefit of what was described in the Commons as ‘one of the greatest advances in medicine that we will see in this century.’ It is eleven years since I exclaimed on this page: “What in Heaven’s name is preventing millions of children in this country from being given what they desperately need to save half their teeth from rotting? Believe it or not, it seems to be a tiny minority of people almost all of whom know next to nothing about the subject and have totally unscientific minds.” In the years since then successive Ministers of Health have described the small band of those who lead the ‘anti’s in similar terms. Their most recent ploy to scare us has been to jump on the current ‘pollution’ band-waggon by trying to link up fluoridation with worry about cyclamates, D.D.T. etc. Recent converts of the ‘anti’s can be forgiven, but when that small handful of persons who have led the ‘anti’s’ for some years use this particular smear, their doing so can only be described as ‘knavery.’ They tried it before by crying ‘Thalidomide’, and thousands of Kilmarnock children’s teeth have paid the penalty for that folly. They were then shown that fluoride is a very simple, extremely common, completely natural salt that is present in almost all natural food and most natural water, where it has been for cen- turies past. It was also explained to them that Thalidomide. Cyclamates, D.D.T., Dieldrin, the “Pill”, etc., are completely different in all these ways. These are not simple, but of extremely complicated chemical structure — not natural and God-given, but artificial and man- made — not found widely dispersed in natural food and water, but only where man has recently put it — not in nature and in man’s teeth and bones for countless generations, but only in ex- istence for the last few years. This means that anyone is quite justified in saying that he is not sure what the result might be in 20 years or so of the use of these recently manufactured drugs — no one can be sure and no true scientist claims to be sure — but that has absolutely nothing whatever to do with fluoridation which, as shown above, is in an utterly different position. Millions of people throughout their lives and tor generations past have lived on water containing one or more parts per million of fluoride, and have demonstrated its harmlessness. It is the existence of these millions of hnm|an guinea pigs that enabled the W.H.O. 10 years ago to say: “All these findings fit together in a consonant whole that constitutes a great guarantee of safety — a body of evidence without precedent in public health procedures.’ Any who still have a shadow of doubt should surely be con- vinced by hearing that Dr. Frances Kelsey, medical officer of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, who was honoured by Pres- dent Kennedy for having kept Thalidomide off the American market, declared herself in favour of fluoridation, and emphasised the overwhelming scientific support by adding “This public health measure, based on more than 30 years research, has been thorough- ly investigated and approved by such organisations as the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, the Ameri- can Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Research Council/1 It is high time the ‘anti’s’ faced up to the dishonesty of the way they smear the word ‘poison’ around this subject. It is nearly 4 years since Lord Cohen in the House of Lords made it clear to their president, Lord Douglas, that to say that fluoride was a poison or that fluoride was not a poison were both meaningless statements, because it depends on the amount whether fluoride is or is not poisonous. Fluoridation means only one part of fluoride in one million parts of water, or less than a single grain of fine salt in a glass of water. Even Prussic Acid can be safely drunk at this dilution of one in a million, and in fact it is used in almond cake icing. To make the smear darker, the word ‘rat-poison’ is often used. The most widely used rat-poison is called ‘Warfarin.’ During the 5 weeks that I spent in Hospital lying with my thigh in a sling 1 consumed 5-8 pills of ‘Warfarin’ every day. Common table salt can kill if the dose is too large, but no one in their senses would call it a poison. No one who believes in truth should use the word ‘poison’ to frighten anyone from fluoridation. Similarly, the most recent effort to scare people has been to quote the figure of 9,000 tons per year of fluoride salt as the amount that would end up in polluting our rivers and coastal waters. This of course is a mere bogey, as the concentration could never be above 1 part per million, which we know to be quite harmless to human, animal or plant life. Those “anti’s’ who have had to stop disputing the safety and the dental benefits of fluoridation now fall back on the cry that it is ‘mass medication — compulsory interference with personal liberty.’ Medication means medical treatment. Far from being in any way a treatment, fluoridation is purely preventive in precisely the same sense that the addition of chlorine to water, vitamins to margarine, and calcium and iron to flour, are purely preventive measures. Of course, it is easy to think of cases where the giving of ordinary air or plain water would be the only ‘medication’ needed to save a person’s life. A family found dying in a gas-filled room, or a group found nearing death in the Sahara, need no other medication to save their lives than fresh air or plain water, but it would be folly to argue from such cases that the provision of fresh air and water to our populations is mass medication. It cannot be too often repeated that fluoridation is the free provision, for everybody alike, of a harmless, tasteless, odourless natural element, that is, by the kindly provision of nature, already present in greater (or unfortunately lesser) amounts in almost all water and all foods everywhere on this earth. (Research which involved feeding rats on a completely fluoride-free diet proved almost impossible, because it was difficult to keep rats alive on the few foods that were free from fluoride). To describe the adjustment in the water of the amount of this natural element as ‘mass medication’ is nonsense. Finally, there is a very important point about the saving from decay produced by fluoridation, a point which is never apparent in the figures, and which especially needs emphasis now that the ‘anti’s’ are trying to minimise its benefits. The fact is that the percentage reduction in caries is very much greater than the figures (50-60%) reveal. This is because the measurement of the decay in a mouth is always done by lumping together three very different degrees of decay, by counting the D.E. (or M.) F.-index, that is, the number of Decayed, Extracted (or missing) and Filled teeth. Fluoridation greatly reduces the amount of decay, thus enabling teeth to be filled instead of being extracted, without reducing the joint D.E.F. index. This shift from Extracted to Filled does not show in the D.E.F. index. This very important but hidden fact also explains why the finan- cial savings in dental clinics, etc., don’t seem as great as they might be. This is because a dentist can extract many teeth in the time taken to fill one tooth. It gives the dentist more work to save a tooth than to throw it away, but it is clearly much better for the patient. Similarly, figures showing increases in the percentage of children with totally caries-free mouths do little to stimulate the imagin- ation. But I remember meeting a group of dentists who had visited and seen the mouths of school children brought up in Slough (which is blessed with natural fluoride in its water supply), and comparing their delight with the ecstasy of poets or architects visiting the Taj Mahal. Why deprive us all of similar delight? Yours truly, NORMAN PARFIT. VITA I STATISTICS In this first section are collected the various tables which summarize the vital statistics of the three Authorities grouped together. It is followed by sections which deal separately with matters affecting the health of each Authority. All figures in brackets refer to 1967. AREA AND POPULATION The following table gives the area of each district with the estimated population at the middle of 1968. Tt shows that the population densities of the Abingdon Borough and the Faringdon Rural District are very close to the national average for England and Wales. Abingdon Rural District however, has a density of over three times that of the average Rural District, only one-third of this excess being due o the parishes which are on the outskirts of Oxford, namely Cumnor, North Hinksey, and Kennington. Area Est. Mid. Increase Persons Product of District in Acres 1968 Pop. on 1967 per acre 1 d. Rate Abingdon Borough 1.754 17.290 520 9.86 £2,900 Abingdon Rural 41.185 37.090 520 0.90 £5,356 Faringdon Rural 55,726 16,330 180 0.29 £1.785 Total 98.665 70,710 1,220 0.71 £10.041 BIRTHS AND DEATHS The following table shows the totals of Births and Deaths and the ‘corrected’ rates per 1,000 of population. ‘Corrected’ rates are those which take due account of the actual age and sex of each area by being multiplied by the ‘comparability factor’ supplied by the Registrar General. They may then be fairly compared with those of the nation as a whole or with the corrected rate of any other area. The factors for Births and Deaths are as follows: Abingdon Borough 0.96: 1.23; Abingdon Rural 0.93: 1.19; Faringdon Rural 1.02: 1.01. The degree to which these factors vary from the standard 1.00 shows how much the population of the Authorities are similar to, or differ from, the national average. The figures show that as far as women of child-bearing age are concerned our populations vary little from the average, but that Abingdon Borough and Abingdon Rural District have about one-quarter less old people than the average. Birth Rate Death Rate per 1,000 per 1.000 District Births of Pop. Deaths of Pop. Abingdon Borough Abingdon Rural Faringdon Rural 318 (323) 17.71 565 (600) 14.17 274 (285) 17.11 155 (132) 286 (245) 134 (113) 11.03 9.18 8.29 Total 1157 (1208) 15.71 (16.78) 575 (471) 9.42 (8.37) England and Wales 822,000 16.9 (17.2) 577.000 11.9 (11.2) INFANT MORTALITY Deaths of Infants Live Infant Mortality District under 1 year Births per 1,000 Li%'e Births Abingdon Borough 1 (4) 315 (320) 3.2 Abingdon Rural 7 (10) 563 (592) 12.4 Faringdon Rural 5 (5) 273 (279) 18.3 Total 13 (18) 1.151 i (1191) 11.3 England and Wales 18.0 STILL BIRTHS District Legitimate Illegitimate Total Per ,1000 total Births Abingdon Borough Abingdon Rural Faringdon Rural 3 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 9.4 3.5 3.7 Total 6 — 6 5.2 England and Wales 14.0 CAUSES OF DEATH The 575 deaths in the area were accounted for as follows:- Abingdon Abingdon Faringdon Total Total Cause Borough Rural Rural 1968 1967 Ischaemic Heart Disease 38 64 37 139 (117) Hypertension with Heart Disease 3 7 2 12 5) Chronic Rheumatic Heart Disease 2 3 — 5 (—) Other Forms of Heart Disease 5 11 3 19 (50) Total Heart Disease 48 85 42 175 (172) Cerebrovascular Disease 15 39 23 77 (54) Other diseases of the Nervous System — 4 — 4 Other diseases of the Circulatory System 5 14 5 24 (20) Cancer of the Lung 7 11 8 26 (20) Cancer of the Womb 1 1 — 2 (-) Cancer of the Breast 6 8 2 16 (14) Cancer of the Stomach 1 10 2 13 (11) Leukaemia — 2 — 2 (5) Other Cancers 20 39 12 71 (56) Total all Cancers 35 71 24 130 (105) Benign and Unspecified Growths — 2 1 3 (-) Pneumonia 12 15 7 34 (18) Bronchitis 6 14 9 29 (16) Influenza 8 6 1 15 (1) Asthma 1 1 — 2 (-) Other Diseases of the Respiratory System 3 4 2 9 (5) Motor Vehicle Accidents 2 8 3 13 (12) Other Accidents 4 3 4 11 (6) Suicides 2 1 2 5 (1) Other Diseases of Digestive System 3 3 — 6 (-) Diabetes Mellitus 1 3 2 6 (1) Nephritis 1 3 1 5 (4) Other Diseases, Genito- Urinary System 4 — 1 5 (-) Hyperplasia of Prostate — 2 1 3 All other Causes 5 2 3 10 (32) Total all Causes 155 286 134 575 (471) INFECTIOUS DISEASES The following table gives the number of cases of infectious diseases notified during 1968 (with the 1967 figures in brackets). Diseases Abingdon Borough Abingdon Rural Faringdon Rural Total all Districts Measles 11 (354) 53 (520) 181 (59) 255 (933) Scarlet Fever 10 (4) 8 (8) 4 (2) 22 (14) T.B. (Pulm) 4 (3) 5 1 0) 10 01) T.B. (Non-Pulm) — (-) 2 ( ) — (- 2 (-) Infective Herpatitis 2 (-) 3 ( ) 3 (-) 8 (-) Whooping Cough 2 (-) 10 (17) — (-) 12 (17) Dysentery 1 (5) 19 (4) 1 (6) 21 (15) Food Poisoning — (-) — (1) 4 (4) 4 (5) Totah 30 (368) 100 (559) 194 (74) 334 (1,000) TUBERCULOSIS (New Cases) The following table shows the number of new cases of Tuberculosis notified during the year. It distinguishes between the more serious cases affecting the lungs (Pulmonary) and those affecting other parts of the body. Abingdon Abingdon Faringdon Total Age Borough Rural Rural all Districts Periods Pul. Non Pul. Pul. Non Pul. Pul. Non Pul. Pul. Non Pul 0—1 2—5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 1 — — 1 — — — — — — — — 26-35 36-45 1 — — 1 46-55 3 — 3 2 6 2 56-65 — — 1 — 1 — Over 65 — — 1 — — — 1 — Totals 1968 5 4 2 1 10 2 Totals 1967 3 7 — 2 — 12 ABINGDON BOROUGH HOUSING CONSTRUCTION The number of new houses completed during the year was 167 consisting of 35 Council houses and flats and 132 built by private persons. A further 195 houses were under construction at the end of the year, of which 45 were Council dwellings and 150 were private. The above additional Council houses brought the number erected since the war to 1,798 and with the 583 pre-war houses makes a total of 2,381 Council houses (including those sold) leaving 1824 dwellings for renting. The rent of pre-war houses, including rates, ranged from £2 11s. 2d. to £3 10s. 7d. with an approximate average of £3 2s. 2d. per week for a 48 week year. Rents for post-war houses ranged from £2 11s. 2d. for a bed- sitter to £4 10s. 7d. for a four bedroom house with an average of £3 15s. 8d. The number of applicants for Council houses at 31st December, 1968 was 422. This was 68 more than at the end of 1967. CARAVANS There are no caravans in the borough now being used as residential accommodation. MORTUARY The present mortuary in Radley Road is to be replaced by a new one with a larger capacity at the Marcham Road Hospital. It is anticipated that building will commence during 1969. The mortuary was used on 124 occasions during 1968, 122 involving post mortem examinations. The figures for 1967 were 153 and 151 respectively. MEAT INSPECTION The following table gives the details of slaughtered animals inspected and the number of carcases condemned at the Caldecott Farm abattoir. No. found to be affected Whole Carcases No. T.B. % of Other % of T.B. Other Inspected Total Conditions Total Conditions Cattle 2204 1 727 33.0 3 Calves 228 — — — — — 13 Sheep 6011 — — 178 2.7 — 10 Pigs 21,279 56 0.26 3040 1.4 — 61 Totals 29,722 57 3,945 — 87 1957 (39,446) (107) — (8,304) (21) 0) (87) Analysis of Principal Causes of Condemnation of Carcases Disease Cattle Calves Sheep Pigs Total Emaciation 1 1 7 9 Peritonitis — 1 — 7 8 Pleurisy — — — 5 5 Moribund — 6 — 5 11 Pyrexia — — — 3 3 Oedema 1 — 2 6 9 Immaturity — — — — 2 Pneumonia — 2 — 2 4 Pyaemia — 1 — 5 6 Abcess — 1 — 3 4 Metritis — — 5 5 10 Septicaemia 1 — — 1 2 Other Conditions — 2 2 12 14 Total 3 13 10 61 87 FOOD OTHER THAN FRESH MEAT The following quantities of food and meat (other than meat inspected at the slaughterhouse) were condemned during 1968:- Meat 127 lbs. Canned Meat 115 lbs. Frozen Food 189 lbs. IceCream 18 lbs. FOOD PREMISES The number and various types of premises subject to the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960 together with the number of visits paid to them in the course of food inspection duties were as follows: Premises Premises Premises Number Category of Trade of Premises fitted to comply with Reg. 16 to which Reg. 19 Applies fitted to comply with Reg. 19 Number of Visits Grocery and Provisions 41 38 41 41 10 Licensed Premises 31 30 31 31 3 Cafes and Restaurants 15 15 15 15 20 Butchers 16 16 16 16 17 Greengrocery 14 14 14 14 15 Sale of Ice Cream 8 7 8 8 21 Sale or Manufacture of Preserved Food 8 8 8 8 5 Fishmongers 4 4 4 4 16 Milk Distributors 2 2 2 2 35 Sausages and other Meat Products Factory 1 1 1 1 10 MILK During the year 35 samples of milk were taken and submitted for bacteriological examination. The results were as follows:- No. Taken Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Pasteurised 22 21 1 ICE CREAM 21 samples of ice cream were taken and submitted. 17 were found to be Ministry of Health provisional grade 1, 3 provisional grade 2 and 1 provisional grade 3. HOUSING 1. Houses which on inspection were considered unfit for human habitation Nil 2. Houses in which defects were remedied as a result of informal action 4 3. The number of representations made to the local authority with a view to:- (a) serving notices requesting execution of works Nil (b) the making of demolition or closing orders Nil 4. Informal notices requesting execution of works 5 5. Houses rendered fit after service of formal notice Nil 6. Number of demolition and closing orders made Nil 7. The number of houses in respect of which an undertaking not to re-let was given Nil 8. Number of houses demolished Nil IMPROVEMENT GRANTS During the year 7 applications for Discretionary Grants and 8 applica- tions for Standard Grants were approved. The work completed during the year provided the following additional amenities:- Hot Water Systems 8 Wash Hand Basins 8 Food Stores 4 Baths 7 Water Closets 9 Alterations to Kitchen 8 New Bathrooms 7 REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL 1. The quantity of household refuse collected continues to increase not only because more houses are built and occupied, but also as a high standard of living is maintained. The main increase is in bulk and collection becomes more and more time-consuming. In spite of some difficulty in recruitment of labour the service continues to provide regularly weekly collections. 2. Action has been taken under the Civic Amenities Act 1967, to provide a place to which householders may take bulky items for disposal. This is proving so popular that the site needs twice-weekly cleaning. 3. In cases of difficulty the Corporation also provides a collection service for bulky household items no longer required; this is in addition to the facility referred to in (2) above. 4. Refuse disposal is now carried out by a contractor at Corporation Farm, Wilsham Road, under a blanket agreement which includes the extraction of gravel and the back-filling of the excavations. Some early difficulties with seepage of polluted water through the tipped refuse finding its way to nearby water-courses have been successfully dealt with to the satisfaction of Thames Conservancy officials. SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL The standard of effluent has been maintained within Royal Commission standards. The Sludge Digestion plant is operating effectively and disposal of liquid sludge on farm land has been carried out successfully during the season. During the financial year 1969/70 an additional sludge digestion tank, a gasholder and automatic screening to the main pumping station are to be constructed and installed subject to loan approval. WATER Water is supplied by the Oxfordshire and District Water Board who are responsible for regular sampling. During the year the water was adequate in quantity and, with a few minor exceptions, satisfactory in quality. OFFICES, SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963 Premises were registered at the end of the year as follows No. of new Total No. No. of Type Registrations Registrations at persons during 1968 end of year employed Offices Retail Shops Wholesale Shops and Warehouses Catering Premises and Canteens 4 15 1 2 91 126 8 2 387 703 20 3 Totals 23 244 1,203 FACTORIES ACT, 1961 No. Inspections Written Notices Prosecutions Factories without mechanical power 1 2 Factories with mechanical power 63 27 — — Totals 64 29 — — There was one outworker — engaged in the making of wearing apparel. SUMMARY OF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTORS’ VISITS FOR 1968 Refuse Collection and Disposal 234 Accumulations and Deposits 14 Animals 4 Drainage and Sewerage 26 Public Conveniences 20 Offensive Trades 4 Mortuary 146 Housing Defects 6 Filthy or Verminous Premises 11 Sanitary Accommodation 6 Pest Destruction 27 Water Supplies 6 Water Courses and Ditches 10 Swimming Pools 119 Litter 11 Petroleum 21 Factories Act 31 Shops Act 3 Noise Abatement 59 Animals Acts 6 Miscellaneous 88 HOUSING Housing Inspections 10 Improvement Grants 68 Slum Clearance, etc 16 OFFICES SHOPS AND RAILWAY PREMISES ACT, 1963 Offices 8 Retail Shops 37 Catering Establishments and Canteens 3 Accidents 4 Miscellaneous 3 FOOD AND DRUGS ACT Meat Inspection 757 Other Food Inspection 9 Food Complaints 36 Food Poisoning 5 Bakers 9 Butchers 17 Confectioners 11 Catering Establishments 20 Mobile Shops and Hawkers 5 Market Stalls 67 Food Preparation Premises 5 Slaughterhouses 30 Miscellaneous 5 Milk Sampling 35 Ice Cream Sampling 21 Water Sampling 24 CIVIC AMENITIES ACT 55 ABINGDON RURAL DISTRICT This table gives certain essential figures as a background against which the following pages can be viewed. Product Parish Est. Pop. Mid 1968 Area Total in Dwellings Acres (a) Council Houses Rateable Value (b) of Id. Rate (c) Appleford 389 862 116 13 8572 32 19 10 Appleton-with-Eaton 935 2077 276 72 21369 84 16 11 Besselsleigh 73 906 22 2 2030 7 911 Cumnor 4564 5690 1315 316 164801 666 13 10 Draycott Moor 1102 1054 281 52 24166 96 10 0 Drayton- 2389 2606 671 108 50766 202 1 8 Frilford 235 1148 72 — 8787 33 3 11 Fyfield and Tubney 598 183 189 39 16215 63 14 4 Garford 118 39 37 4 1891 7 10 0 Kennington 4381 1369 1202 195 126094 511 0 10 Kingston Bagpuize 268 1109 80 — 6613 26 17 5 Lyford 69 774 30 — 870 3 1 1 Marcham 1468 2513 322 174 44585 176 8 7 Milton 805 1466 255 35 49950 203 4 2 North Hinksey 5315 1069 1465 48 198612 774 13 5 Radley 2460 2862 416 86 76501 279 18 10 St. Helen Without (d) 2878 2005 1000 11 152097 624 1 0 South Hinksey 411 509 109 8 18593 82 7 8 Steventon 1569 2401 478 156 47554 186 17 9 Sunningwell 1469 1332 288 43 43819 175 10 2 Sutton Courtenay 2639 2101 787 321 114169 472 3 3 Wootton 2762 1523 797 207 92581 369 11 0 Wytham 193 1992 66 — 35347 180 18 10 Gas Board — — — 2072 7 18 8 Electricity Boards — — — 21763 86 10 4 Totals 37090 41185 10274 1890 1329817 5.356 3 5 Totals for 1967 36570 41185 10134 1823 1289709 5.134 19 11 (a) Excludes residential caravans, includes R.A.F. Married Quarters, (a) & (b) At 1.4.68. (c) For year 1967/68. (d) Excludes R.A.F. Personnel. PART ‘A’ HOUSING CONSTRUCTION The total number of new houses completed during 1968 was 153, 136 were built by private enterprise, 17 by the Council. 191 were under construction at the end of the year of which 16 were Council houses. The following table shows their distribution:- Parish Council Houses Private Enterprise Completed Under con- struction 31.12.68 Completed Under con- struction 31.12.68 Appleford — — 2 8 Appleton-with-Eaton — — 5 2 Cumnor — — 30 76 Draycott Moor — — 46 24 Drayton — 16 3 3 Frilford — — 1 — Fyfield and Tubney — — 3 — Kennington — — 23 18 Marcham — — 1 1 Milton — — 1 4 North Hinksey — — 4 — Radley — — 1 17 South Hinksey — — 1 1 St. Helen Without — — 2 1 Steventon 15 — 2 3 Sunningwell — — 1 2 Sutton Courtenay — — 7 15 Wootton 2 — 3 — Totals 17 16 136 175 Totils for 1967 87 21 212 114 TEMPORARY DWELLINGS The 16 bungalows at Tubney are now the only temporary dwellings owned by the Council and are in current use. IMPROVEMENTS The improvement of old properties continued at a steady rate and required a total of 171 visits. Applications for Grants were slightly less than in 1967 and details of these are shown in table (a). Table (b) shows the extent of work completed during 1968 with the aid of Grants. Total No. Amount Total (a) No. approved approved paid amount 1968 (’67) since 1968 paid Standard Grants 26 (34) 1959 274 £2,778 £30,403 Discretionary Grants 10 (10) 1952 358 £4,416 £112,179 (b) (i) No. of properties modernised with aid of Discretionary Grants. Parish Conversions Improvements Cumnor 1 Kennington 2 Kingston Bagpuize 1 — Marcham 2 North Hinksey 3 — Sutton Courtenay 1 — Tubney 1 Wootton 1 Totals 5 7 (b) (ii) Amenities provided with aid of Standard Grants. Baths/ Hot Water Food Parish Showers W.C.’s Systems Stores L/Bs Appleford 1 1 1 1 Appleton-with Eaton 1 1 1 1 1 Cumnor 4 4 4 3 4 Drayton — — 1 1 1 Marcham 1 2 1 1 1 North Hinksey 2 2 4 2 3 Radley 1 2 2 2 2 Sunningwell 1 1 1 1 1 Tubney 1 1 1 1 1 Wootton — — 1 — 1 Totals 12 14 17 12 16 RENT ACT, 1957 No Certificates of Disrepair were issued during the year. HOUSING ACT, 1957 (a) Houses inspected under Section 3 of the above Act 8 (b) Houses represented to Local Authority with a view to:- (i) Serving notices requiring execution of works Nil (ii) the making of Demolition Orders 1 (iii) the making of Closing Orders 1 (c) Number of Closing Orders made 1 (d) Number of Demolition Orders made 1 (e) Number of Demolition Orders revoked 3 CARAVANS Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act, 1950 Visits concerning caravan control remain at approximately the same level as in 1967. 213 inspections were made as follows Miscellaneous 17 Exempted sites 37 Council sites 74 Unauthorised caravans 37 Private licensed sites 48 11 applications for Planning Permission and Site Licence were considered during the year, two out of eight new applications and all three renewals were approved. The distribution of caravans in the district was as follows (a) Council owned sites Pebble Hill Caravan Park, Radley 100 .caravans Woodland Caravan Park, Radley 108 caravans There continues to be a demand for sites on these parks, particularly Pebble Hill. The waiting list remained at a steady level with an average of about 35. The ‘turn over’ on the Woodland Park exceeds that of Pebble Hill by about six to one resulting in an extended period of waiting for prospective Pebble Hill residents. (b) Licensed Private Sites 40 licences involving 241 caravans were in force at the end of the year distributed as follows No. of Sites No. of Caravans Parish Permanent Temporary Permanent Temporary Appleford 2 2 Besselsleigh — 1 — 1 Cumnor 5 5 14 17 Draycott Moor 1 2 6 3 Drayton 1 4 50 19 Frilford — 1 — 2 Kennington 2 — 2 — Kingston Bagpuize 2 — 5 — March am — 2 — 2 Milton — 1 — 1 North Hinksey — 1 — 1 Radley 2 — 83 — St. Helen Without — 2 — 4 South Hinksey 1 1 1 1 Sunningwell 1 — 16 — Steventon — 1 — 8 Wootton 1 1 2 1 Totals 16 24 179 62 The above is a decrease on 1967 of two sites with single caravans. (c) Exempted Sites The number of exempted caravans was reduced from 28 to 16. Close control is exercised over this type of use in order to ensure that caravans are not relet when the bona-fide exempted residents leave the site. (d) Unauthorised sites The number of visits to such sites was 50% less than 1967 and can largely be explained by the marked reduction in the use of the temporary “camping” places by itinerant caravanners. Proceedings under Section 1 of the Act was necessary in the case of a single caravan and a fine of £20 was imposed. PART ‘B’ ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES WATER SUPPLY (a) Quantity Most of the rural district is supplied with mains water but a number of wells are still in use. These are all of the shallow type and a survey was commenced during the year to determine their precise number and location The following table gives the information required concerning the supplies of the two Water Boards serving the area. (i) OXFORDSHIRE AND DISTRICT WATER BOARD Total No. of No. of Dwelling No. of Dwelling Dwelling Houses supplied Houses supplied Parish Houses with mains water by standpipe Appleton 276 250 Besselsleigh 22 20 — Cumnor 1315 1289 — Draycott Moor 281 273 — Frilford 72 53 — Fyfield and Tubney 189 148 — Garford 37 36 — Kennington 1202 1160 — Kingston Bagpuize 80 71 — Marcham 322 322 — North Hinksey 1465 1462 — Radley 416 383 — St. Helen Without 1000 998 — South Hinksey 109 108 — Sunningwell 288 271 — Wootton 797 779 — Wytham 66 37 — Totals 7937 7660 — The supply to the area is from the Board's sources at Swinford and Farmoor, and is piped to the district via Becon Hill. Boars Hill and Wootton Reservoirs. During 1968 the total quantity of water treated at Swinford and Farmoor was 3,924.257,000 gallons. The supply to con- sumers was adequate and no restrictions had to be imposed. (ii) THAMES VALLEY WATER BOARD Appleford 116 116 Drayton 671 668 1 Lyford 30 20 — Milton 255 252 1 Steventon 478 467 3 Sutton Courtenay 787 781 6 Totals 2,337 2,304 11 During the year, the water supply was satisfactory in quality and quantity and has been obtained from the same sources as in previous years. Commissioning of the new reservoir at Steventon in April provided an improved supply to the area. PUBLIC CLEANSING (a) Refuse Collection 1968 saw no dramatic change in the method of refuse collection and the kerbside method continues to be used. In October a second 50 cu. yd. Pakamatic vehicle was delivered and has proved to be an excellent replacement for two old vehicles. The vehicles now in use are two 50 cu. yd. ‘Pakamati,cs’ and one 35 cu. yd. vehicle with a further 35 cu- yd. vehicle held in reserve. A four ton lorry is also in use but is engaged mainly on ‘special collections’. The total labour force is six drivers, nine loaders and a foreman. (b) Refuse Disposal Gravel Pits at Radley and Abingdon continue to provide adequate disposal facilities and controlled tipping is carried out by the owner of the tip who is also responsible for maintenance of access roads, etc. (c) Litter Approximately 150 litter bins (converted oil drums) continue to serve the district which can be, and are, replaced at very low cost as and when necessary. In addition, two large capacity precast concrete bins are sited where it is important to preserve visual amenities. (d) Civic Amenities Act, 1967 For many years a scheme has been operated by this Council for bulky articles to be collected free of charge. The introduction of the Civic Amenities Act has now made this service a statutory obligation for all Local Authorities and the need for this is shown by the fact that 238 special collections were made by the Department during the year. To further assist householders, it has been decided to launch a pilot scheme whereby five large containers (six cu. yd. capacity) will be sited at points throughout the District for the reception of bulky articles. If the scheme is successful, it is intended to extend the idea. During the year, 30 abandoned or unwanted motor cars were disposed of, 14 of these under the provisions of the Civic Amenities Act. No expense is incurred by the Council for this work and an arrangement exists with a local car breaker whereby the vehicles are removed at the Council’s request free of charge. SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL Fyfield and Tubney Main Drainage Work on Phase I of this scheme progressed throughout the year and in July Ministry approval was granted for the second and third phases. A price for this additional work of just over £100,000 has been agreed with the contractor who is at present still engaged on phase one. A start was made towards the end of the year on the extended scheme which will serve the areas of Frilford Village, Frilford Heath, Fyfield and Netherton. Main drainage of other areas Following the approval of phase II of the above scheme the Council gave consideration to other areas of the district which remain unsewered. This resulted in the Council’s Consultant being instructed to prepare schemes for Sugworth Lane, Radley, and Boars Hill, and it is hoped that work on the Sugworth Lane Scheme will be put in hand at an early date. Flooding within the Rural District Following the storms of 10th July, 1968, when rainfall varying from 2.8 inches to 3.2 inches was recorded in the northern Parishes of the District, the Council asked for a comprehensive report covering the whole rural district. From information received and from personal observations during the flood period, the Surveyor was able to report, (i) the rainfall was unprecedented and serious flooding occurred where, in normal periods of heavy rain, no flooding is evident. (ii) Some of the flooding might have been prevented by better mainten- ance of ditches and culverts. (iii) In some areas there is clearly a need for surface water drainage schemes. (iv) Serious surcharging of foul sewers occurred. This was due to the influx of storm water through unauthorised connections and from the simple expedient by numerous people to avoid flooding in their own houses of lifting manhole covers in flooded areas. Having considered these facts the Council decided to instruct their Consulting Engineers to prepare a detailed scheme for Phases II and III of the Botley Surface Water Drainage Scheme and Outline Proposals for surface water drainage at Appleton, Fyfield and Marcham, Kennington, Wootton and Sunningwell and Drayton. DRAINAGE A survey was commenced during the year to determine more accurately the number of septic tanks and cesspools in current use throughout the district and these visits accounted for three quarters of the 609 visits made during the year concerning various aspects of drainage. Septic tanks continue to be a source of nuisance and the Department is often called upon to give advice to bring about improvements to unsatisfactory drain- age systems. ATMOSPHERIC POLUTION AND SMOKE CONTROL Two notifications were received under Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956 for the installation of new furnaces. Both applied for and obtained Prior Approval. No serious difficulties were experienced during the year concerning this aspect of work and the total number of visits was 22. DISINFESTATIONS A total of 38 visits were made to filthy or verminous premises and there was a marked increase in the number of infestations of fleas, lice, bed bugs and cockroaches. RODENT CONTROL This work continues to be carried out by a rodent officer and one operator engaged jointly by the R.D.C. and Abingdon Borough and during the year 3,671 visits to premises in the district were made of which 205 were agricultural. 281 premises were found to be infested and 479 bodies of rats and mice were recovered. SCRAP METAL DEALERS 7 scrap metal dealers were registered with this authority at the end of the year. ANIMAL BOARDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACT, 1963 A local veterinary surgeon carried out inspections, on behalf of the Council, of premises used for boarding dogs and cats under the above Act. At the end of the year 3 licences were in force. AGRICULTURE (SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE PROVISIONS) ACT, 1956 Sanitary conveniences on farms were generally found to be satisfactory and it was not necessary to serve any notices. 42 visits were made under this heading during the year. DISE ASES OF ANIM ALS (WASTE FOOD) ORDER 1957 Only two premises are licensed under the provisions of the above Order and both were found to be quite satisfactory. NOISE AB ATEMENT ACT, 1960 Six complaints concerning noise were received during the year resulting in a total of 16 inspections. The worst complaint concerned grass track motor cycle racing but after a full survey it was felt that no action by the Council was justified. PETOLEUM (REGULATION) ACTS, 1928 & 1936 The total number of premises licensed for the storage of petroleum was 64, all of which have been visited at least once during the year. In all, 123 visits were made to apply the various provisions of the above Acts. Five informal notices were served. HAIRDRESSERS Fourteen premises were registered as barbers and hairdressers during the year, under Section 129 of the Berkshire County Council Act, 1953. Byelaws also became operable during August 1968 which are applied to all such businesses. PART ‘C OFFICES AND SHOPS Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act, 1963 The total number of registered premises at the end of the year was 139, an increase of 18 over 1967. The distribution of these premises was as follows:- 41 Catering establishments 71 open to the public and canteens 23 3 Fuel storage depots 1 Offices Retail shops Wholesale shops and warehouses All registered premises had received a general inspection by the end of the year and 92 such inspections were made during that time. The total number of visits of all kinds was 162 and 33 contraventions were noted as follows:- Temperature 13 Washing facilities 1 Ventilation 1 First aid 10 Sanitary Conveniences 1 Others 7 All were dealt with informally and remedied. Four accidents were reported during the year. PART ‘D’ FOOD INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION Food Premises The following table shows the District to which 875 inspectioas Premises nature of the 209 were made. Complying with No. Reg. 16 food premises in the Complying Reg. 19 with applies Reg. 19 Grocery and general stores 67 67 57 57 Public Houses 46 46 35 35 Confectionery 13 13 13 13 Butchers 12 12 12 12 Kitchens (schools, canteens, etc.) 47 47 47 47 Greengrocery 7 7 7 7 Bakehouses 3 3 3 3 Cafes 3 3 3 3 Off Licences 7 7 — — Fishmongers 1 1 1 1 Food Factories 2 2 2 2 Chemists 1 1 — — 76 premises were registered under Section 16 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, as follows:- Storage arid sale of ice cream 65 Cooking of hams 4 Manufact lire of sausages 5 Others 2 POULTRY INSPECTION Following the pattern of previous years, production at the only poultry packing station in the area increased, yet again, by 26.5%. The number of birds slaughtered is summarised as follows:- Turkeys 196,280 Capons 44,737 Hens 149,428 390.445 In 1967 the total was 308,591 It was apparent at the beginning of the year that there was every likelihood of production being increased and accordingly efforts were made to increase the number of visits by Public Health Inspectors. In fact, 72 such visits were made when both poultry and the premises were subjected to inspection. 3,256 birds were rejected for various reasons, as being unfit for human consumption, this figure being .83% of the total passing through the station. The total weight of condemnations was approximately 117 cwts. It is estimated that approximately 10% of all birds killed were examined in varying degree but the number passing through without being examined by our own staff is undesirably high. Available qualified staff to carry out the necessary inspection is limited and it is clear that additional qualified staff must be engaged if we are to provide an adequate inspection service. Strict surveillance of all aspects of the processing is maintained whilst the Inspector is present and although these premises are not purpose built, every effort has been made to keep the station as hygienic as possible. The new sanitary block was completed during the year and is a con- siderable improvement upon the previous arrangements. FOOD HAWKERS The following 20 businesses were registered under Section 122 of the Berkshire County Council Act 1953, permitting the selling of food to be carried out within the district:- Fishmongers 3, Butchers 3, Greengrocers 3, Bakers 5, Ice cream 3, Caterers 3. FOOD HYGIENE (MARKET STALLS AND DELIVERY VEHICLES) REGULATIONS 1966 There are no market stalls as such within the rural district but the many and various mobile shops and delivery vehicles were the subject of 54 inspections. In general, the conditions were found to be satisfactory. MILK AND DAIRIES 12 premises are licensed by the County Council for the sale of milk and regard is paid to the hygiene requirements of the Regulations when visiting the shops for other purposes. Bacteriological sampling is carried out by the Department and during the year 27 samples were procured, 18 from schools and 9 from dealers and all but one were satisfactory. The only failure was procured from a retailer and did not satisfy the keeping quality test. This was pursued with the dairy concerned. ICE CREAM As far as was possible to ascertain, a sample of ice cream was procured, for bacteriological examination, from every premises handling this com- modity. A total of 100 samples were taken and were classified as follows:- Provisional Grade 1 — 56 Provisional Grade 2—38 Provisional Grade 3 — 2 Provisional Grade 4— 4 KNACKERS Y ARD A local public school with beagle kennels attached rely upon the collection of dead animals (viz, calves, sheep, pigs, etc.) from farms and remove them to their kennels for flaying, dressing and processing prior to feeding to the dogs. The definition of a knackers yard clearly includes such premises and accordingly they were licensed under Section 62 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1955. Apart from the occasional complaint of cooking smells, no serious nuisance w'as found to exist. UNSOUND FOOD The following food was voluntarily surrendered or condemned:- Meat at poultry packing station 5 tons 17 cwts. 1 lb. Meat at retail shops 2 „ 20 lbs. Canned meats 1 ,. 90 „ Other canned foods 4 „ 14 „ Fresh fruit and vegetables 7 „ 45 „ Other foods 1 ton 10 „ 37 „ Total 8 tons 2 cwts. 94 lbs. The poultry is disposed of by the o/ccupiers of the packing station and it is removed daily together with viscera, etc., for purposes of fertilizer manufacture. All other food is collected by the Department and disposed of on the Council’s refuse tip. 19 complaints of unsatisfactory food were received during the year. All were investigated in detail and two prosecutions were instituted. One for a mouldy meat pie where the defendant pleaded guilty and was fined £10. The second case concerning the mouldy condition of loin chops delivered to a local school was lost on a legal technicality, i.e. that proof of delivery was unavailable. PART ‘E’ FACTORIES Registered premises The total number of premises registered at the end of the year was 63 as follows: (i) Factories without power Joinery Dressmaking (ii) Factories with power:- Motor vehicle repairs 19 Agricultural engineering 5 Light engineering 4 Bakehouses 3 Saw mills 2 Electrical engineering 3 Laundry 2 Tyre remoulding 2 Radio repairs 2 Electrical vehicle sales and service 2 Dry cleaners 1 5 1 Carpentry 1 Oar manufacture 1 Plastics 1 Waterworks 1 Plant repairs 1 Asphalt 1 Joinery works 2 Electrical repairs 2 Concrete columns 1 Assembly of sheet steel ducting 1 Building etc., Sites 14 building and engineering sites in the district were inspected concern- ing sanitary accommodation and in every case were satisfactory. No complaints were received during the year from employees. Written No. Inspections Notices Prosecutions Factories without mechanical power 6 6 — — Factories with mechanical power 57 50 2 — Other premises 14 14 — — Totals 87 70 2 — 10 outworkers all of whom are engaged in the wearing apparel industry were subject to inspections which proved to be satisfactory. SUMMARY OF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTORS’ WORK 1968 Number of visits made 3978 „ „ complaints received 120 „ „ Informal Notices served 124 „ „ Statutory Notices served 2 „ „ Prosecutions 4 Matters in relation to which visits were made:- HOUSING Housing inspections 114 Improvement Grants 171 Others 487 PUBLIC HEALTH Refuse collection 71 Refuse disposal 20 Litter 30 Accumulations and deposits 37 Filthy premises 12 Verminous premises 26 Animals 21 Scrap metal dealers 5 Housing defects 22 Drainage 102 Cesspools/septic tanks 407 Inadequate sanitary accommodation 28 Suitable and sufficient sanitary accommodation 45 Sanitary accommodation at refreshment houses 19 Hairdressers 27 Swimming baths 6 Water supplies — wells 427 Water supplies — mains 9 Water courses 18 Miscellaneous 113 CARAVANS Council sites 74 Private licensed 48 Exempted 37 Unauthorised 37 Miscellaneous 17 CIVIC AMENITIES ACT (Abandoned cars) 31 NOTSE ABATEMENT 16 PETROLEUM 123 DISEASES OF ANIMALS (WASTE FOOD) 4 PREVENTION OF DAMAGE BY PESTS ACT 11 FOOD AND DRUGS Grocers 234 Kitchens (schools, canteens, etc.) 119 Poultry inspection 72 Food complaints 72 Butchers 78 Food factory 61 Food inspection 61 Street vendors, vans and stalls 54 Bakers 11 Confectioners 40 Greengrocers 36 Licensed houses 46 Fishmongers 5 Ice cream premises 139 Food poisoning 8 Off licences 30 Milk retailers 10 Miscellaneous 12 OFFICES AND SHOPS Retail shops 125 Offices 14 Catering establishments open to the public Wholesale shops and warehouses 5 Accidents 10 Miscellaneous FACTORIES Factories and workshops 49 Outworkers 13 Laundries 2 Bakehouses 1 Building sites 14 Miscellaneous 4 AIR POLLUTION Miscellaneous 3 Smoke observations Installations 17 FARMS (SANITARY ACCOMMODATION) 42 SAMPLES Ice cream 100 Water Wells 16 Mains Other 4 Milk 27 Miscellaneous 6 FARINGDON RURAL DISTRICT This table gives essential figures as a background against which the following pages can be viewed Product Parish Est. Pop. Mid 1968 Area in Acres Total Council Dwellings Houses 2 31.12.68 Rateable Value (a) of Id. Rate (b) Ashbury 656 5609 183 44 12607 £ s. 48 5 Baulking 122 1580 39 — 1570 6 1 Bourton 318 1260 89 12 5987 20 7 Buckland 558 4505 189 — 13682 51 19 Buscot 248 2887 71 — 5690 21 10 Charney Bassett 263 1209 94 — 6793 26 6 Coleshill 224 2014 74 — 3606 13 3 Compton Beauchamp 86 1812 38 — 2310 8 18 Eaton Hastings 114 1570 36 — 2917 8 2 Faringdon 3858 3547 1248 373 119662 473 7 Fernham 217 1016 72 28 4039 14 0 Great Coxwell 261 1435 105 12 5647 21 18 Hatford 123 993 34 — 7780 31 11 Hinton Waldrist 243 2016 83 14 4470 17 2 Kingston Lisle 286 2040 79 12 5261 22 11 Little Coxwell 186 887 71 — 4320 15 19 Littleworth 215 2350 78 — 3605 13 13 Longcot 439 1894 144 (c) 34 9487 37 15 Longworth 887 2291 243 56 16540 63 8 Pusey 98 1040 32 — 2063 7 12 Shellingford 201 1761 67 2 4016 14 19 Shrivenham 2706 2695 688 (d) 96 93779 378 17 Stanford in the Vale 1461 2927 425 96 31288 121 3 Uffington 628 2929 200 54 11784 45 11 Watchfield 1836 1517 507 (e) 70 61536 251 11 Woolstone 81 1942 46 — 2570 9 19 Southwestern Gas Board — — — 2276 10 0 Southern Electricity Board — — — 7359 30 0 Totals 16330 55726 4933 903 452904 1785 7 Totals for 1967 16150 55726 4836 833 438047 1753 16 (a) As at 31.12.67. (b) To nearest shilling. (c) Includes 11 Military Quarters. (d) Includes 82 Military Quarters. (e) Includes 347 Military Quarters HOUSING CONSTRUCTION New houses completed during the year numbered 99, of which 63 were Council Houses and 36 were Private. A further 9 Council Houses and 30 Private Houses were under con- struction on 31st December, 1968. The distribution of these houses is shown by the following table:- Parish Council Houses Under con- Completed struction 31.12.68 Private Enterprise Under con- Completed struction 31.12.68 Faringdon 40 houses 23 Flats 11 1 Great Coxwell — — 3 — Hatford — — 1 — Hinton Waldrist — 9 — 3 Longworth — — 2 3 Shellingford — — 1 — Shrivenham — — 15 7 Stanford in the Vale — — 2 5 Watchfield — — 1 2 Totals 63 9 36 30 Totals for 1967 13 23 50 34 RENTS Maximum rents, which are based on the gross value for rating purposes, are now calculated on a 50 week basis. They range in the case of pre-war houses from £1 15s. Od. to £2 3s. 3d. and for post war houses from £1 17s. lOd. to £3 18s. 4d. Tenants, however, receive rebates which may amount to 10/10d. for pre-war and 11/6d. for post-war houses. These rebates may reduce rent to minimum figures between £1 4s. lid. and £1 12s. 5d. for pre-war houses and between £1 8s. 5d. and £3 Is. 3d. for post-war houses. In addition to normal houses the Council has also built a block of 22 aged persons flats to accommodate persons of 70 or over. The average rent is £3 12s. 10d.; this includes central heating, hot water and rates. A warden’s service is in operation, plus the use of communal lounge and laundry. CARAVAN SITES AND CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT ACT, 1969 The following shows the distribution in individual parishes of the 47 Caravans which were licensed for varying periods under the above Act. This number is one more than in 1967. Parish Buckland Eaton Hastings Faringdon Fernham Shellingford Shrivenham Uffington Sites 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Caravans 1 1 40 1 1 1 2 REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL Weekly kerb-side refuse collection was maintained throughout the year. The collection fleet consists of one 35 cu. yd. compression type vehicle and two Fore and Aft tippers, one of which is used approximately two days a week and a reserve machine. It is the intention to purchase a second machine (compression type) during 1969. Although the collection is kerb-side, bins are carried for the aged and infirm. The trade waste collection, whi,ch was commenced in 1967, continued to operate satisfactorily. The refuse is disposed of by tipping in a sand pit at Stanford. This tipping site is also used by Wantage for disposal of approximately half their refuse. Material is purchased for intermediate cover and there have been no complaints during the current year. A full time tip dresser is employed and the bulldozer, which was overdue for replacement, was destroyed by fire during the year and replaced with a new machine. WATER SUPPLY Quality The water supply was satisfactory both in quality and quantity. Examinations The Oxfordshire and District Water Board, as the Water Authority in the area, carry out routine sampling of mains supplies and copies of the reports are received. 12 water samples were taken from private supplies during the year and submitted for bacteriological examination. All were satisfactory. DETAILS OF DWELLINGS RECEIVING WATER FROM PIPED SUPPLIES EITHER PUBLIC OR OTHER SOURCE Parish Dwellings Inside the House Standpipes Ashbury 183 180 3 Baulking 39 39 — Bourton 89 88 1 Buckland 189 189 — Buscot 71 71 — Charney Bassett 94 94 — Coleshill 74 74 — Compton Beauchamp 38 38 — Eaton Hastings 36 36 — Faringdon 1248 1246 2 Fernham 72 70 — Great Coxwell 105 105 — Hatford 34 31 3 Hinton Waldrist 83 81 2 Kingston Lisle 79 78 1 Little Coxwell 71 70 1 Littleworth 78 78 — Longcot 144 (a) 144 — Longworth 244 240 4 Pusey 32 31 1 Shell ingford 67 67 — Shrivenham 688 (b) 688 — Stanford-in-the-Vale 425 424 1 Uffington 200 194 6 Watchfield 507 (c) 507 — Woolstone 46 42 4 Totals 4933 (4836) 4905 (4772) 29 (30) (a) includes 11 Military Married Quarters. (b) includes 82 Military Married Quarters. (c) includes 347 Military Married Quarters DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE Faringdon main drainage scheme was completed and brought into commission during the year thus providing for the much needed expansion of the town. The village sewerage and sewage disposal schemes for both Littleworth and Shellingford have been designed and are awaiting submission to the Minister, but it is not anticipated that work on construction will commence until the economic situation of the Country improves. Preliminary work has commenced on providing sewers for Hatford which would be extended to Stanford-in-the-Vale for treatment at the existing Disposal Works. RODENT CONTROL Rodent control work in the district is carried out by the Charge-hand as part of his duties. It is estimated that approximately 25% of his time is so employed. Warfarin mixed in maize meal is used as a main bait and this continues to prove successful. The service to domestic properties is free but a charge is made for all business premises treated. There was a noticeable increase in the number of infestations during the Autumn and early Winter but no serious problems were met with. MEAT The small slaughterhouse in Faringdon was the only one in operation in the Rural District — animals slaughtered here are for local retail trade. The following is a list of carcases inspected and meat found to be unfit for human consumption Steers and Sheep and Heifers Calves Lambs No. Inspected 361 11 927 All diseases except T.B. Whole carcases condemned — — — Carcases of which some part was condemned 29 — 48 Percentage of the number inspected with diseases other than T.B. 8.03 5.18 Tuberculosis only No meat was found to be infected with T.B. OTHER FOODS During the year the following foodstuffs were voluntarily surrendered after examination had shown them to be unfit for human consumption 89 Mixed Packets of Frozen 531 lbs. Tinned Ham. Foodstuffs One 6 lb. Tin Corned Beef. 36 lbs. Frozen Chicken Portions. 8 Steak and Kidney Puddings. 6 lbs. Lambs Liver. MILK AND DAIRIES REGULATIONS All licences under the Milk (Special Designations) Regulations are issued by the Berkshire County Council. There is one Diary and seven milk distributors registered in the district. No complaints were received during the year and the premises concerned were satisfactory. Routine sampling is carried out by the Berkshire County Council and copies of the reports received. FOOD PREMISES The number of food premises in the district is set out in the following table. Conditions generally were found to be satisfactory. Number of Number of Number of Premises Premises Premises Number fitted to to which fitted to of comply with Regulation comply with Category of Trade Premises Regulation 16 19 applies Regulation 19 Licensed Premises 48 48 46 46 Grocers and General Stores 44 44 42 42 Butchers 7 7 7 7 Confectioners 7 7 — — Cafes 5 5 5 5 Bakehouses 4 4 4 4 Greengrocers 3 3 3 3 Fish Frying Establishments 2 2 2 2 Fishmongers 1 1 1 1 Food and Drugs Act, Section 16 46 Premises are registered for the sale of Ice Cream and one for the manufacture and sale thereof. 3 Premises are registered for the cooking of hams. HOUSING Houses inspected under the Housing Acts Number of Closing Orders made ... Number of Closing Orders Determined Number of Demolition Orders ... IMPROVEMENT GRANTS Seven applications for Discretionary Grants under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1958, were approved by the Council. Altogether work under the Scheme was completed to thirteen properties during the year. Twenty-one applications for Standard Grants were approved by the Council and altogether work was completed to thirty-five properties during the year. FACTORIES ACT 1961 Inspections No. of Premises No. on Register Inspections Made Written Notices Prosecutions Factories without mechanical power 7 1 Factories with mechanical power 36 26 — — Totals 43 27 — — Cases in which defects were found — Nil. There was one outworker in the district employed on manufacture of wearing apparel. SUMMARY OF HEALTH INSPECTOR’S WORK DURING THE YEAR 1968 Number of visits made 1208 „ „ complaints received 70 ,, „ notices served (Informal) 14 „ „ notices served (Statutory) Nil „ „ prosecutions Nil Miscellaneous matters in relation to which visits were made:- Council house applications 174 Refuse disposal 130 Refuse collection 112 Slaughterhouse 124 Petroleum storage - 41 Butchers Shops 20 Cafes and Inns 25 Other Food Premises 81 Shops other than Food .. 31 Offices 16 Caravans , 29 Water Supplies 41 Improvement Grants 48 Rodent Control 40 Factories and Workplaces 26 Milk Supplies 31 Water Courses 29 Schools 34 Water Samples 16 Mortuary 29 Housing Act 4 Nuisances 42 Sewerage 3 Food Stalls and Vehicles 12 Bakehouses 2 Dairies 5 Miscellaneous Visits 63 A KKm> Pmee AVvlncrinn RArlra