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tance of their work was stressed ; 11,500 tons of chemicals were
produced annually, and direct and indirect exports amounted
some £620,000. Competition was very keen and it was essentia
for the company to be able to manufacture products of a quality
which could only be obtained from use of the latest plant wort
ing in well-designed buildings. The company had given consideration
to moving to another site, but it was difficult to find
a suitable location and there were many factors militatig
against removal. A large quantity of water was used and must
be free from chlorides which would cause corrosion and scaling
in the formaldehyde plant; and the present site had the advantage
of being served by two private wells of exceptional purity
The labour force of between 200 and 250 was local and include
skilled workers and scientific staff who were unlikely to be
willing to leave Barking. The factory was in an area allocated
for industry in the Development Plan and was close to the largest
power station in England and to Beckton Gas Works, which
was one of the main sources of raw materials. There were no
fumes or vapours arising from the manufacturing processes a
the works which could possibly have any chemical reaction on
paint, woodwork, curtain materials or metals, and although there
was some smell in the vicinity of the factor this was new
strong and the most noticeable was terpineal, a pleasant clean
odour. The most objectionable smell outside, derived from
production of hexamine, had now been completely eliminate
by a new system of manufacture recently introduced. Under it
modernisation and rebuilding scheme now proposed, the nil
existing chimneys at the works would be replaced by two. Automatic
stokers were being installed to reduce coal consumption
and the emission of smoke, and the raising of the chimney
appeal was necessary in order to provide additional draught for
one of these units. The proposed new buildings were intended
solely for providing better working conditions and improving
efficiency and would reduce the risk of smell outside the works
The unsightly collection of buildings fronting on to Abbey Road
would be replaced by pleasing buildings and the sheds and wall
facing Hardwicke Street would be replaced by a taller building
which would conceal the works from the upper windows of the
houses there. In the circumstances, it was submitted that
very heavy cost of acquiring a new site, building a new fadtory
and removing all the plant and equipment could not possible
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