Cleaning Up Westbourne

This booklet tells two stories. The first reflects increasing concern about matters that we would now consider as “Public Health”. The second may be caused by the first – a large increase in the number of “Authorities”.

The evolution of the powers of the Vestry and the Poor Law Guardians into the Rural Sanitary Authority and thus the Rural District Council is explained.

Having set the scene, the booklet goes on to chart the development of Sewage, Water, Medicine, Housing improvement, Roads and Gas/Electricity. The limitations of the new powers are well illustrated with an account of a householder of a rented property who complained as to its state. It was condemned and the inhabitants moved to the Workhouse as no alternative accommodation was available.

It concludes with the absorption of Westbourne RDC into the much bigger Chichester RDC in 1933, for better or worse.

CLEANING UP WESTBOURNE