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treated with insecticides. Many of the sites were originally bomb sites
and static water tanks, but nowadays such sites are no longer prominent
and emphasis is mainly on ditches and grass verges, river banks, stables and
allotments. At the same time as the sites are being treated the Borough
Surveyor co-operates with the department by making arrangements for
the dustmen to place gammexane powder in the dustbins when they are
emptied.
Clean air
It is an interesting historical fact that in 1273 the use of coal was
prohibited in London as being "prejudicial to health". In 1306 a Royal
Proclamation was issued prohibiting artificers from using coal and it is
said that a man was hanged for disobeying this injunction.
Part of the Clean Air Act, 1956 came into force in 1957 and the rest
by the middle of 1958.
In a borough such as this, with relatively little industry, the main
application of the Act is in relation to smoke control areas. In the middle
of 1957 the M.O.H. reported to the committee that there were three
areas in the borough any one of which might serve as the first smoke
control area to be instituted, and eventually it was decided that an area
of 320 acres in the Ladywell district should be the first to be dealt with.
Of the 320 acres about 200 were of open space and the area itself included
Ladywell Lodge and Ladywell Nursery and several roads of private
dwellings of intermediate age. Altogether there were about 1,450
premises, of which some 1,380 were structurally separate dwellings. The
area also included a laundry, baths, mortuary, police station, library and
Lewisham Hospital; it was therefore one of moderately mixed development.
A preliminary report, as required by the Ministry, was put up to
the Ministry of Fuel and Power in July, and the Minister's approval to
going ahead with a detailed inspection of the area for the purposes of a
Smoke Control Order was received in September.
In anticipation of the Minister's approval it was decided to stage an
exhibition in the area in the early autumn. This was to be on a fairly
large scale, as it was in the first proposed smoke control area of the
borough, and it was open for about a week in the middle of October.
Although primarily addressed to the inhabitants of the proposed smoke
control area (who were specifically invited to an opening meeting for
general explanation and questions), the exhibition was advertised in the
borough generally and attracted many visitors, including quite a number
from outside the borough. The main exhibitors were the Coal Utilisation
Council (who work in close cooperation with the Solid Smokeless Fuels
Federation), the Electricity Board and the Gas Board. It was a wellarranged
exhibition and one of considerable interest to any person who
desired to be informed on the question of smoke control.
Immediately the exhibition was over the detailed examination and
inspection of individual houses in the proposed area was started, the
necessary information being recorded on a specially designed card. At
the same time a descriptive eight-page pamphlet was got out, copies
being given to each householder and, where necessary, sent to each house
owner.