View report page

- 21 -
Clean Air Act. 1956
Continuing its policy of making the whole of Bethnal Green into a smokefree
area , the Council made a further Smoke Control Order in 1961. It is anticipated
that the Minister of Housing and Local Government will confirm this Order and that the
date of operation will come in the latter part of 1962.
The Council's No.2 Order has been operative since 1st November, 1961.
Three hundred and forty six acres of the Borough are now covered by Smoke Control
Orders and control over a further 228 acres will be achieved in 1962 by the implementation
of Order No.3
Where possible , the Council allow householders a free choice of the type of
heating they wish to enjoy in Smokeless Zones and tenants readily submit estimates of the
costs involved in converting fireplaces and receive the grants payable on completion of
the works. Expenditure in this connection up to the end of 1961 amounted to £1,400.
From the original survey of premises to be included in a Smoke Control
Order to the final approval of fireplace conversions at the premises it is estimated that
an average of three visits per dwelling are necessary. When it is noted that the Council's
No.3 Order covers a total of 4,200 premises it will be realized what a vast amount of
technical and administrative work is involved in making the Clean Air Act effective.
Publicity is essential if the full benefit of pollution-free air is to be
achieved and putting "Clean Air" on public view was a major endeavour in 1961. A
float was entered in the Borough Carnival, an Exhibition was held in July and talks to
Clubs were arranged in conjunction with other interested organisations.
The Carnival float depicted the dirt and deterioration in a dwelling house
caused by pollution from smoke. The Exhibition lasted for a week and covered all
aspects of atmospheric pollution. It ranged from the danger of domestic smoke to the
latest form of house-heating , from methods of detecting pollution in the air to means
of eliminating it from the atmosphere.
Much public interest was shown in the Exhibition and it helped the Council
to gain goodwill for the introduction of further Smoke Control Orders.
Atmospheric Pollution
During the year an expert Working Party of the Department of Scientific
and Industrial Research reported their conclusions on the continued use of deposit gauges
and lead dioxide instruments in the investigation of atmospheric pollution. The view of
the Working Party was that the information provided by these instruments was extremely
localised in its application and of little general value in the investigation of atmospheric
pollution. There were also other drawbacks on their continued use.