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32
These headings represent in descending order the actual
time spent on each aspect by the Public Health Inspector mainlyresponsible
for smoke control, Mr,, E. Ulrich.
1. Smoke Control Areas
At the end of 1958 three smoke control areas had been or
were being considered by the Council.
Area 1. Vale of Health. A "pilot" scheme involving 5½ acres and
70 premises in a self-contained village.
Area 2. St. John's Wooda 110 acres of good class residential
property including some 750 premises in the southern part of the
Borough and extending the smoke control area in the adjoining
Borough of St. Maiylebone.
Area 3. An extension northwards from Area 2 towards the centre of
the Borough covering 350 acres and comprising an estimated 3.500
mixed residential and business premises.
Following objections by the residents in the Yale of
Health, the Order for Area 1, which comes into force on 1st
September, 1959. was only confirmed by the Minister after a Local
Inquiry. This Inquiry was only the second to be held in the London
area, the first being at Wandsworth.
The Yale is a completely self-contained small village
set in the midst of Hampstead Heath. It is beset with adaptation
problems and, as such, was treated as a pilot scheme designed to
afford valuable data which would materially help in dealing with
larger areas.
The main objection to the confirmation of the Order was
that sufficient supplies of approved smokeless fuels would not be
available. This objection could not be sustained but at the
Inquiry other matters were raised by the objectors including the
toxicity of coke fumes, difficulties envisaged in connection with
the caravans and diesel engines at the permanent fairground in the
Vale, the cost of adapting "period" fireplaces, the additional
cost and difficulties of storage of approved fuels and perhaps the
most valid of all the objections, why should the Vale of Health,
being surrounded by the smokeless area of Hampstead Heath and
producing comparatively little smoke in any case, be chosen as
the first smoke control area in the Borough?
It is only fair to record that in spite of the very