Ash Pits Are Full

Tenants of Claremont terrace, Conisbrough, who allege for seven months the ash pits in the terrace have been “deserted” by council refuse collectors and have become “breeding grounds for rats and mice” are to petition the Urban Council and the divisional medical officer to try to get the ash pits emptied.

Tenants of nine houses in the row share two ash pits. These have become filled to overflowing and refuse is standing outside in boxes or is being dumped on allotments. Mrs Maud Hague of number one, is organising the petition to the council, said, “it is a ridiculously long time, 7 months. It’s becoming dangerous to health.”

Mrs Mary Baldry of number 5, who is organising the petition to the Medical Officer of Health, said, “The ash pits are a positive breeding ground for rats and mice. We have tackled councillors and officials about it, but they seem to have deserted us. Other houses nearby have their dustbins emptied not ours. It is a disgusting state of affairs.”

Mr R. E. Ingleby, the Council’s public health inspector, said they were doing their best to bring the work up-to-date. For several months there had not been a full team because of illness, Injuries and holidays. The council agreed that last week to ask the refuse collection men to work overtime on Saturdays to bring the work up-to-date, but since then the men had refused to work overtime on Saturday morning because of a disagreement concerning maintenance time for lorries.

Mr Ingleby did not agree that the ash pits have been left for seven months. “It is more like five months” he said. The council’s employees and foreman and 18 men for refuse collection. Two lorries are used collection and there are over 5,000 rateable premises where waste is collected. Mr Ingleby said the position was bad but added that under the circumstances they were doing their best.