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(d) Static Water Tanks, Air Raid Shelters, Bomb Damaged Sites, etc.
Vacant sites in the borough are being re developed where possible but there
are still some sites in respect of which complaints continue to be received. The
tipping of refuse and the accumulation of water in static water tanks still present
a problem. By arrangement with the Council s Cleansing Superintendent putrescible
matter was removed by his Department upon request from the Public Health Inspector.
The co-operation of the London Fire Brigade in pumping out stagnant water is
appreciated.
Warning notices are displayed under the War Damage Sites Act 1949, drawing the
attention of the public to the fact that the depositing of refuse is an offence.
Visits to bomb damaged sites 494
Visits to air-raid shelters and static water tanks 15
Inspections of derelict buildings 42
Atmospheric Pollution
Clean Air Act, 1956
The Minister of Housing and Local Government in July issued Circular No. 28 in which he
stated that he had had a number of enquiries about the use of sticks and paper for lighting
fires in Smoke Control Areas There is no doubt that gas provides the most convenient
smokeless method of lighting coke and other authorised solid fuels. There will, however, be
houses which have no Town gas and cannot be supplied with it at reasonable cost. Some people
too, may object to having gas in their houses at all and in the Minister's view it would be
undesirable to insist that they should. It is probable that, in time, other means of lighting
fires smokelessly will come into general use. The Minister considers that legal cover for the
use of sticks and paper for lighting fires can best be given by use of the powers of exemption
in Section 11 (3) of the Clean Air Act, 1956, and he asks Local Authorities to include provision
for exempting such buildings when preparing smoke controlled areas. Exemption will, of course,
be conditional that only authorised fuels and kindling sticks and paper shall be used in the
fireplace. In an appendix to this circular is a copy of a document entitled ''Smoke Control
Areas – Your Questions Answered." which has been prepared as a guide for local authorities who
wish to produce explanatory booklets to householders in properties in smoke control areas.
The L.C.C. earlier in the year made a By-law amending the London Building (Constructional)
By-laws, 1952, as follows:–
"Smoke Prevention - 10.17 (1) There shall be provided in a new building (except in so far
as heating is provided by furnaces to which section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956. applies) only
such appliances for heating or cooking as are suitably designed for burning any of the following
fuels, namely:
(a) gas
(b) electricity
(c) coke or anthracite
or are appliances of a description exempted from the provisions of Section 11 of the Clean Air
Act, 1956 (which relates to smoke control areas), by an order for the time being in force under
Sub-section (4) of that Section.
"(2) This by-law shall not apply in relation to a new building begun before the date on
which this by-law comes into operation."
The by-law is to be construed as one with the principal by-laws and came into operation on
the 1st day of April.