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Arrangements for these measurements are made in conjunction with the Warren Spring Laboratory
of the Ministry of Technology as part of the National Survey of Air Pollution.
At the request of the Consultant Physician of the Westminster Hospital Chest Clinic results from
Anson House and Monck Street are supplied to him at weekly intervals, to assist his research into
the effect of various factors on bronchitics and asthmatics living in Westminster.
Two sequential fog samplers operate at Anson House and Westminster Council House. They were
installed by arrangement with the Air Pollution Division of the Medical Research Council and the
results obtained are always available to them and to Warren Spring Laboratory. 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 City Council's
Smoke Control Officer when smog is imminent or at the request of the Medical Research Council.
The City Council's smoke control programme is nearing completion and has played a large part in
reducing the amount of smoke in the City's atmosphere to about a quarter of what it was when the
programme was embarked upon. Three final Smoke Control Orders, Westminster (Paddington
Church), Westminster (Hyde Park No. 2), and Westminster (Paddington Town) were made during
the year, and were confirmed by the Minister of Housing and Local Government. A further order,
Westminster (Wild Street), was also made to regularise the position created when the Westminster
(Covent Garden) Smoke Control Order was made. This relates to a small area of about 2 acres in the
Covent Garden Ward which was excluded pending works of improvement by the owners to all the
dwellings therein. This work has since been completed and the area was already smokeless when the
Wild Street order was made.
All undue emissions of smoke observed or reported to the Health Department are investigated and
appropriate action taken. There are many oil-fired boilers of varying sizes used in 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 263 (258) visits in connection with complaints received, 325 (384) smoke
observations and 914 (907) 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 1969 a total of
54 (82) such notifications were received, of which 15 (17) included application for the Council's
approval of the new boilers.
The Clean Air Act 1968 came into force during the year. Section 6 gives the Council control over
the height of chimneys serving new or adapted boilers which burn (a) pulverised coal, (b) solid fuel
at a rate of 100 pounds or more per hour, or (c) liquid fuel or town gas at a rate of 1¼ million
British Thermal Units or more per hour. The control relates to new chimneys, or to existing chimneys
serving boilers in which the combustion space has been enlarged, and is additional to all existing
planning and constructional requirements. Four applications for approval under this section were
received and all were approved.
Housing Acts 1957-1969—Inspectorate
This specialist group of public health inspectors continued to deal with slum clearance, houses in
multiple occupation, the improvement of dwellings, and applications for loans and grants for the
purposes of purchase and improvement of houses.
During the year progress was made upon the declared slum clearance programme, as reported in
a subsequent paragraph, and preliminary surveys were conducted for the purpose of formulating a
slum clearance programme for 1970-1974.
Investigations continued into conditions prevalent in hotels, guest houses, boarding houses and
hostels, particularly with regard to premises which were being converted for these purposes. The
Development of Tourism Act 1969, which came into operation on the 1st August, brought many
enquiries concerning the financial incentives to encourage the provision of accommodation for
visitors, and for advice as to standards of amenity required. It would appear in this latter respect that
standards could be applied by a Tourist Board as a condition attaching to a grant or loan, and
perhaps the British Standard Code of Practice C P Chapter VII (1950) will be adopted in this respect.
An enforceable minimum standard of accommodation and amenity applicable to all hotels and
hostels could well prove to be necessary in the full implementation of the intention of the legislators.