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(b) Co-operation of the firm concerned should be sought and
arrangements made for the measurement to be carried
out either by the firm or by the local authority with the
firm's permission. Authorities have no power under the
1956 Act themselves to carry out measurements without
this permission.
(c) The Minister will shortly make regulations prescribing the
requirements which local authorities may apply to require
the measurement of emissions from furnaces covered by
Section 7 of the Act, i.e., furnaces burning pulverised fuel
and those burning other solid fuel or waste at a rate of
one ton an hour or more. The requirements will relate to
the making and recording of measurements of emission,
the provision of the necessary apparatus and the adaptation
of the chimney for the purpose, and the supply to the
local authority of the results obtained from the measurements.
Failure to comply with the standards recommended in "Grit
and Dust" is not an offence under the Act. Evidence of such a
failure, however, may well in suitable cases, assist in demonstrating
that the means required by Section 5 of the Act for minimising
emissions have not been employed.
Any grit and dust emissions in the Borough have always been
kept under review. From time to time complaints are received but
to date none has proved insurmountable and measures introduced,
often at the instigation of this Department, have resulted in considerable reduction of such emissions. In the case of premises
under the jurisdiction of the District Alkali Inspector, liaison is
such that complaints received by this Department are investigated
and, if considered necessary, a report of the circumstances is
forwarded for the Inspector's attention.
There are no pulverised fuel burning plants in the Borough.
Grants
During the year 1,587 grants amounting to £39,027 4s. Od. were
approved by the Council. These grants were in respect of applications for works of conversion or adaptation carried out which had
previously been proposed by the applicants and approved by the
Council within the appropriate cost limits. However, Section 95 of
the Housing Act, 1964, gives a local authority, inter alia, discretion
on the payment of grant in respect of such works effected without
prior approval. Forty-one discretionary grants amounting to
£911 10s. 7d. were so approved, giving a consolidated figure of
1,628 grants totalling £39,938 14s. 7d.