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a demand and action in Bermondsey. The Council, through its
Public Health Committee and its officers, has effected considerable
achievements already in lessening air pollution. The effort continues
at an ever-greater pace and, well before the original target date for
completion in 1970, the whole of the Borough will be covered by
smoke control areas.
But, of course, controlling the visible smoke from chimneys is
not the entire answer to air pollution; invisible sulphur oxides
present a considerable problem in themselves. However, recent
research suggests that sulphur is more dangerous when combined
with carbonaceous particles as in non-controlled smoke emissions.
A lot of nonsense has been talked about the efficacy of smoke
control under the Clean Air Act of 1956. It is now established
beyond any reasonable doubt that the use of smokeless fuel in
properly approved appliances has definite beneficial effects for the
following reasons: —
(i) Bituminous elements having been removed, the fuel burns clearly, i.e.,
without the greyish/black, yellow tinged smoke.
(ii) Efficiency of the old type of coal fire grate is about 25 %, whereas the
new approved closed appliances are about 70% efficient. The gain
of this efficiency means that only about half the quantity of fuel need
be burnt to obtain the same heat and hence sulphur emission will be
cut by one-third to a half.
(iii) Existing industrial and commercial establishments are inspected by
the Public Health Inspectors and advice for the improvement of the
plant is given. If this advice is ignored, prosecution can be undertaken.
Plans for new premises are only passed if boilers and fires are
of the approved type.
As far as Bermondsey is concerned, the oil-fired burners of St.
Olave's Hospital have an extermely good record and cause no trouble
at all. It is not by chance that the hospital is in the centre of a big
smoke control area. This is seen on the map as the No. 4 area of
237 acres.
Likewise it is not by chance that at the west end of the Borough
the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 areas were already in operation from the dates
stated on the map. On October Ist this year, No. 5 area comes into
operation and this will include New Guy's House and the College.
Thus a continuous area of smoke control will stretch along the
Borough boundary from London Bridge, through Great Maze Pond,
Crosby Row, Long Lane, Weston Street to the Old Kent Road, and
eastwards from this boundary to some 250 acres. This should be
of undoubted benefit to patients and staff alike at Guy's, as well as
residents and other workers in the area.