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No. of drainage defects remedied:
(a) In factories 1
(b) In houses 4
(c) In shops —
The sources of pollution can be analysed as follows:
Sinks and handbasins and baths 4
W.Cs —
Industrial Wastes 2
Soil sewers and drains —
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
Smoke Control Areas
It is satisfactory to report that progress has continued in implementing the Council's
Clean Air programme which will ensure that the whole of the Borough is a Smoke
Control Area by 1974. The public memory is short and the great smog of 1952 is now
more than 11 years ago. At that time for anyone to question the desirability of active
measures being taken against smoke pollution would have been hard to credit.
To-day, however, this is far from the case and many pronouncements reach print
querying the wisdom of such large expenditure for so apparently little reason. During
the smog of 1952, it is estimated that 4,000 persons lost their lives. It is against a
recurrence of this that smoke control programmes are directed and it is in this light
that the Council's determination to proceed must be viewed.
In January 1962, the Minister of Housing and Local Government approached local
authorities with Circular No. 4/62 and asked them to consider whether the target
dates originally set for the completion of their programmes could be brought forward.
At the same time he asked for programmes for the five years 1962—1966 to be prepared.
The Council accordingly gave further consideration to the matter and it was decided
that the completion date could not be brought forward. It was felt that Ealing as a
Borough was making as rapid progress as was feasible, particularly as by 1966, the
already large number of 38,112 premises and approximately 5,940 acres which would
be included, had now risen in the final estimate to 60,383 premises.
During 1963, four further Smoke Control Orders were made by the Council in
respect of areas Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17, all of which were planned to come into
operation during 1964. The No. 12 Smoke Control Order made in 1962 was confirmed
by the Minister of Housing and Local Government in February 1963, following a
public enquiry, and Smoke Control Order No. 13 also made in 1962 was confirmed
by the Minister. These latter two Orders came into operation in 1963. Orders Nos. 14
and 15 made early in 1963 were confirmed later in the year and will become operative
in 1964. Orders Nos. 16 and 17 made later in the year were still awaiting confirmation
at the end of December. Survey work on areas Nos. 18 and 19 had been commenced
before the end of the year and preliminary arrangements were also in hand for dealing
with areas Nos. 20 and 21.
The following table gives details of the progress of the Council's programme by the
end of 1963:—
14