View report page

204
November, 1970, to 31st March, 1971. The areas concerned were
as follow:-
Greenwich No. 4 Abbey Wood No. 2
St. Mary's Garrison North
Shooter's Hill St. Mary's No. 3
Glyndon No. 3 Glyndon
Abbey Wood Rockmount
Charlton Abbey Wood No. 3
St. Mary's No. 2 St. Mary's No. 4
Plumstead Glyndon No. 2
Clothworkers Wood Abbey Wood Estate
No difficulties were experienced during the suspension period.
A letter received from the Society of Coal Merchants in March,
1971, expressing appreciation for the assistance and co-operation
of the Council during the suspension, went on to state that the
Society had every confidence that adequate supplies of solid
smokeless fuels would be readily available for the winter of
1971/72.
Grants
During the year 675 grants amounting to £15,503.71p 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. Twenty discretionary grants
amounting to £382.50p were so approved, giving a consolidated
figure of 695 grants totalling £15,886.21p.
In cases of financial hardship, a local authority also has discretion
under Section 12(1) of the Clean Air Act, to pay more
than 7/10ths grant. The Council continued its previous policy and
paid the full cost of reasonable and necessary works of conversion
or adaptation in the case of application from occupier/
owners who are retirement pensioners and in receipt of Supplementary
Pension. One such payment was approved in the year
and one was also made in respect of a person in special circumstances.
These additional costs are borne jointly by the local
authority and the Government as provided in Section 95(7) of
the Housing Act, 1964, and the Government contribution in these
cases is also 4/7ths of the grant paid.
Section 15 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, allows a local authority