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35
Atmospheric Pollution.
Clean Air Act, 1956.
Smoke Control Areas.
No. 1 Area.
The Council's No. 1 Smoke Control Order became operative on
the 1st October, 1959, but the Council decided to allow an extension
of time for the receipt of applications up to the 31st March, 1960.
At that date, a total of 260 applications for grants had been approved
in respect of the estimated costs of adaptations to 502 fireplaces. By
the end of the year work had been satisfactorily completed in 257 cases
-163 by owners and 94 by tenants, and grants amounting to
£2,823 18s. l0d. had been paid. Fifteen applications for payment of
extra grant in addition to the statutory seven-tenths or seven-twentieths
grant, on the grounds of hardship, were approved, the additional cost
to the Council being £46 7s. 7d.
No. 2 Area.
This Area adjoins and forms an extension of No. 1 Area. It is
almost entirely residential, bounded by Nightingale Lane to the south
side, and Broomwood Road (odd numbers) to the north, and to the
limits of the Borough boundaries on Wandsworth Common and Clapham
Common. The Area comprises approximately 237 acres, of which 96
acres are Common land. There are no industrial premises. Dwellings
number 1,800, and properties other than residential comprise 11 business
Premises, 2 hostels, 2 schools, 2 nursing homes, a nurses home and
training establishment, a private home for elderly ladies, and a London
County Council Superintendent's lodge. The new college recently built
on Clapham Common, West Side, has been equipped with oil-fired
boilers.
From a detailed survey of the Area, it was estimated that 5,756
fireplaces require replacement or adaptation, and if these are all the
subject of applications for grants, the cost to the Council would be
approximately £25,513. However, from experience in the No. 1 Area,
the final cost to the Council is likely to be much less than this figure,
as it is not expected that all the fireplaces mentioned above will be the
subject of requests for grants.
The Council's No. 2 Smoke Control Order has been submitted to
the minister of Housing and Local Government, whose approval is
awaited. One objection to the Order was received, but this was subsequently
withdrawn, and it was not necessary for a Public Inquiry to
In connection with the No. 1 and No. 2 Areas, a total of 3,111
visits and inspections were made during the year.
Smoke, etc., Nuisances and Observations.
During the year, 24 complaints were made alleging nuisances from
smoke, dust, grit, etc., emitted from premises in various parts of the
Borough. All these complaints received careful and sometimes
prolonged investigation.
In addition to dealing with specific complaints, observations are
kept upon the chimneys of any industrial plant which merits observation,
and the appropriate action taken. A total number of 225
obserations were made. No notices were served.