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Larger particles of grit and dust are collected and measured by means of standard deposit
gauges placed at:—
Bessborough Street Day Nursery, S.W.1.
Farm Street Depot, W.1.
Winchelsea House, St. Johns Wood Road, N.W.8.
M. & C. W. Centre, 283A Harrow Road, W.9.
The two sequential fog samplers at Anson House and Westminster Council House are still being
used. These instruments measure the smoke content of smog more completely than the apparatus
used for the daily measurements of smoke and sulphur dioxide, and are switched on at the discretion
of the Senior Public Health Inspector responsible when smog is imminent. The City Council
installed this equipment by arrangement with the Air Pollution Division of the Medical Research
Council and the results obtained are always available to them and also to the Warren Spring
Laboratory, Ministry of Technology.
The City Council's smoke control areas programme continues to be implemented and it is
gratifying to record that the amount of smoke in the City's atmosphere is now less than half what
it was when this programme was embarked upon. One Smoke Control Order came into operation
during the year, the Westminster (Readings); and the Council made two further Orders, the Westminster
(Queens Park) and the Westminster (Maida Vale North), both of which were submitted
to, and confirmed by, the Minister of Housing and Local Government.
All undue emissions of smoke observed, or reported to the Department, are investigated and
appropriate action taken. There are many oil-fired boilers of varying sizes used throughout the
City to provide heating to offices, flats and shops and in addition to the usual smoke problems,
they also give rise to complaints of smuts and odours. Unlike visible smoke, the sources of smuts
and odours are more difficult to trace; nevertheless, although these investigations are somewhat
time-consuming, considerable success is achieved in remedying this kind of nuisance. During
the year the Smoke Control Officer made 288 (289) visits in connection with complaints, 331
(398) Smoke Observations and 912 (1,041) routine visits.
New boiler installations notified to the Council under Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956 are
investigated to ensure that (a) they are capable of operating smokelessly and (b) the flue gases
are discharged so as not to inconvenience persons working and living nearby. During 1967
a total of 71 (93) such notifications were received, of which 27 (33) included application for the
Council's approval of the new boilers.
Housing Acts 1957-1964—Inspectorate
There are six public health inspectors in the section concerned primarily with these Acts.
They implement the provisions of all Housing Acts relating to slum clearance, houses in multiple
occupation, the improvement of dwellings and, in co-operation with the other departments concerned,
report upon applications to the Council for loans for the purchase of houses and grants
for improvement works.
Four of these inspectors were also engaged for a time on obtaining information for the "Conditions
of Dwellings" survey of the Greater London Council which involved 3,710 houses.
In July the report of the Town Planning Committee regarding the North Westminster Study
was presented to the Council. This study was prepared by the Director of Architecture and
Planning but will materially influence the work of the Health Department in the areas covered.
(Summary of visits by Housing Act Inspectors—Table 13, page 70.)
Houses in Multiple Occupation—Management Orders, Directions and Notices
Management Orders, Directions and Notices requiring additional amenities under the Housing
Acts, 1961-1964 continued to be served (see Table 14, page 70).
Pending the acceptance of the North Westminster Study proposals, routine work on houses
in multiple occupation in that area of the City had to be virtually suspended, as it would not have
been reasonable to request owners to carry out expensive improvements until the probable life of
the property became more clearly known.
Houses in Multiple Occupation—Control Orders
At the end of the year, three Control Orders under the Housing Act, 1964 were in operation,
two of the five mentioned in the report for 1966 having been cancelled. In one case the property
was purchased by the City Council and in the other the circumstances no longer warranted the
continuance of the Order and the property was returned (subject to certain safeguards) to the
owner.