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West Middlesex Clean Air Co-ordinating Committee
During 1964 the Committee included representatives from eight local authorities in
the West Middlesex area—Acton, Brentford and Chiswick, Ealing, Feltham, Hayes
and Harlington, Heston and Isleworth, Ruislip-Northwood, and Southall, thus covering
a continuous area of more than 40,000 acres with a total population of 655,000.
The full Committee met on three occasions during the year when useful information
on the progress of the smoke control programmes of each of the eight constituent
authorities was exchanged and discussed. It was reported that at the end of 1964
there were 69 Smoke Control Orders in operation in the area covering 14,178 acres
with 70,832 dwellings and 3,460 other buildings. Twelve further Orders were either
confirmed but not in operation, or awaiting confirmation.
At the three meetings of the Committee consideration was given to a wide variety
of subjects, including smokeless fuel usage in smoke control areas, and the changes in
availability of fuels, the revised grant arrangements recommended by the Minister in
Circular 69/63, fixing costs for appliances, and the forthcoming London Government
reorganisation.
One meeting was attended by representatives of the North Thames Gas Board
who explained the technological changes which were taking place in gas production,
which included complete gasification of coal, the use of imported liquid methane from
the Sahara and the use of oil refinery waste products. It was stated that the gas
industry had no alternative but to adopt these new methods in order to maintain a
competitive position and carry out its statutory duty of producing gas at the lowest
possible price. It was considered that changes which were already taking place in
fuel usage would, for several years to come, keep the supply and demand for coke,
in balance. At this meeting several models of modern gas room heaters were available
for inspection.
At another meeting members were addressed by representatives of the Southern
Electricity Board who explained the limitations and advantages of thermal storage
heaters and compared running costs with other types of fuels. It was said that supplies
of electricity at off-peak times were assured and that the cheap tariff for off-peak
electricity would be maintained. A number of storage heaters suitable for installation
with grant aid in smoke control areas was on display at the meeting.
The last meeting to be held during the year was attended by members and officers
of the Barnes and Hammersmith Borough Councils as representatives of the InterBorough
Smoke Control Liaison Committee, with a view to seeking the views of the
new London Boroughs represented on the two committees about the formation of a
new body to cover the whole area.
In addition to the full meetings of the Committee, the technical officers met on
two occasions to consider fixing costs for appliances, but came to the conclusion
that the varying demands on fixers' services in each area made it impossible to arrive
at a standard schedule of prices capable of being applied by all constituent authorities.
Visits to the mechanised fuel distribution depot recently opened at Neasden by
Messrs. Charringtons, and to the National Coal Board's House Warming Centre at
Edgware were made by members of the Committee during the year.
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