View report page

40
operated over 2,000 measuring instruments. It is clear that the
weight of statistics produced, and still being produced, is of some
magnitude. Dr Lessing, some time President of the National
Society for Clean Air, has been known to use the expression "statistical
indigestion" when acknowledging the tremendous amount of
effort which has gone into this work. It is certain that very few
people can hope to remain on terms with more than a fraction of
the collated results which emerge monthly and annually and it is to
be hoped that the more positive work on Smoke Control Areas and
smoke abatement generally will allow for reductions not only in the
figures recorded by these instruments, but also in their numbers.
4. Supervision of New Appliances
Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, is a general
requirement that new furnaces shall be as far as practicable smokeless#
It also requires that the installation of all'new nondomestic,
and all domestic furnaces above a certain heat rating,
shall be notified to the local authority. The section also
provides for prior approval of such installations in accordance
with plans and specifications if this is requested.
There is little doubt that this requirement of prior
notification is not yet fully appreciated by the trades concerned
and it is probable that some installations have been effected
without the necessary formality. However, the Council's Engineer
and Surveyor has cooperated most fully in this respect and has
sent to my Department notifications of all proposed new building,
alterations and conversions in the Borough. In every case the
person responsible for the proposed new work, usually an architect
or builder, has been informed of the requirement that the Council
must be notified of any new boilers or other such equipment and
provided with a return slip which is, on completion, accepted as
a notification.
This system has worked well and during the year some 40
notifications have been received» In each case inspections have
been made of the new installation and in only one instance has it
been necessary to advise some modification of the scheme proposed.
As yet, the London Boroughs have no byelaw with which
to control the arrangements for heating or cooking in new private
property. However, the same information relating to new building
has proved of value in this respect. In several instances the
Smoke Inspector has been able, by persuasion, to effect the fitting
of non-smoke producing appliances in cases where this was not
originally intended.