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20
Drainage and New Developments
During the year under review 1201(1044) Notices of Executions of Drainage Works were registered, and
a total of 12,631(12,051) visits to sites and to premises were made in connection with these notices. Of the
proposals to do work, which required the specialist knowledge and attention of the Development Team of
four public health inspectors 455(275) related to large scale development and 223(130) concerned new
buildings. The number of houses and flats constructed by private enterprise was 292(467), and at the end
of the year 812(998) housing units exclusive of municipal development were in various stages of
construction.
Sewerage
The City's sewerage system is under the control of and maintained by the City Engineer, and discharges
at a number of points into the major sewerage system of the Greater London Council, who are the
authority for main drainage and sewage disposal.
No surcharge of sewers so as to affect premises draining thereto was reported during the year under
review.
Town Planning
Observations were made by the Department on 153(93) plans submitted to the Council under the Town
and Country Planning Acts 1962/1968.
Clean Air
Daily volumetric measurements of smoke and sulphur dioxide were taken at stations situated at the
following premises:
Anson House, Churchill Gardens, S.W.1.
Monck Street Depot, S.W.1.
London College of Fashion, Holies Street, W.1.
Westminster Council House Extension, Upper Montagu Street, W.I.
Paddington Office, 313 Harrow Road, W.9.
Arrangements for these measurements are made in conjunction with the Warren Spring Laboratory of
the Department of Trade and Industry 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 effects 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 temporary suspension of 13 of the Council's 38 smoke control orders ended on the 31st March
1971. The suspension had been made because of the rapid decrease in availability of supplies of open-fire
solid fuels caused, principally, by the large-scale closure of conventional gas-works. The suspension, having
lapsed, was not repeated for the following winter in view of assurances from representatives of solid fuel
manufacturers and distributors that the shortages had been overcome.