London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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On 13th October, 1959, the Council declared both these areas to be Smoke Control Areas and submitted the Orders to the Minister for confirmation. The following table gives a summary of the details of the three Holland Ward areas:-
| Smoke Control Area | Date Declared by Council | Acreage | Total No. of (1) Dwellings (2) All buildings | Estimated No. of fireplaces needing conversion | Total estimated cost of conversions | Date from which Order operates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland Ward (No.l) | 11.11.58 | 162 | (1) 1,302 (2) 1,400 | 403 | £7,559 | 1.10.59 |
| Holland Ward (No.2) | 13.10.59 | 139 | (l) 2,020 (2) 2,104 | 714 | £12,453 | 1.10.60 |
| Holland Ward (No.3) | 13.10.59 | 184 | (l) 2,681 (2) 3,032 | 87.8 | £16,050 | 1.10.60 |
In addition to the above three areas the Council have preliminarily
approved a proposal to specify the next area, which is the southern half of
the Pembridge Ward, extending from Notting Hill Gate to Westbourne Grove.
The detailed survey of this fourth area is at present being undertaken.
On 26th January, 1959* the Minister of Housing and Local
Government issued Circular 5/59, in which he stated that an encouraging response
to the Clean Air Act had been made by local authorities, but the Minister
hoped that it will be possible to make faster progress, especially in
removing the smoke pall from the Tjlack areas" where pollution is worst.
These black areas were indicated in the Interim Report of the Committee
on Air Pollution published in December, 1953> and they include the
London area. The Minister asked councils in the black areas to consider
their domestic smoke problem as a whole and decide on the smoke control
orders which are needed, in what order of priority they should be made,
and how many years it is likely to take to finish the operation. The
councils were asked to prepare a phased programme for establishing
smoke control areas over the next five years and to inform the Minister
by 30th June, 1959, of their conclusions.
The Pinal Report of the Committee on Atmospheric Pollution suggested
that the complete programme would take from ten to fifteen years, and
the Council formed the opinion that endeavours should be made to produce
smoke control orders covering the whole of the borough within a period
of fifteen years. The following programme was adopted for the first
five years and submitted to the Minister as requested