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without objection. The date of operation was given as 1st July,
1964. This was the "go ahead" signal for the Department and
each of the occupiers or owners of premises were notified of the
work required. Since then Inspectors have been busy advising
tenants, approving the amount of grants available to each applicant,
inspecting work completed and passing grants for payment. During
the latter part of the year the initial survey of the second area
(Mottingham North Ward) was put in hand, and arrangements were
made to appoint a Smoke Control Technical Officer, to assist in
the work. Visits made to premises in proposed Smoke Control
Areas amounted to 673 and do not take into account the numerous
personal and telephone calls which seem inseparable from this
highly complicated operation.
Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution
The Council maintained the following apparatus for the
measurement of pollution.
Type Site Remarks
Volumetric apparatus Manor House, Sidcup Daily recording of sulphur
dioxide and tarry
matter.
Deposit Gauges (two) Riverside Road, Sidcup Monthly record of solid
Holbeach Gardens, matter falling from the
Sidcup air.
Sulphur dioxide candles Holbeach Gardens,Sidcup Monthly record of sulphur dioxide.
The readings from these instruments are made available to the
Thames-side Joint Committee and are collated, on a Countrywide
basis, by the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research.
The year was not conspicuous for heavy or prolonged fog.
The highest peak was recorded in late January with further more
prolonged but less intensive periods of pollution in late November
and in December.
The deposit gauges are largely a measure of the amount of
cement flue dust in the air. The highest reading of total solids
for the periods was that for January when 24 tons per sq. mile was
recorded at Riverside Road, and the lowest was just over one
quarter of this figure, in October.
Council Representation
Besides being represented on the Thames-side Joint Committee,
the Council also takes part in the work of the London and Home
Counties Clean Air Advisory Council (represented by Mr. C. J.
Christopher and the Chief Public Health Inspector), the National
Society for Clean Air and South East Divisional Council (Mr. C. J.
Christopher and Mr. J. P. Sheridan), and the Standing Conference
of Co-operating Bodies for the Investigation of Atmospheric Pollution
(Mr. F. Ambrose and Mr. C. J. Christopher).