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effect of designation was that the installation of an appliance of a designated class
ceases to attract grant although owners and occupiers remained at liberty to install
a designated appliance at their own expense. The Minister later designated direct
acting electric space heaters as described in the previous paragraph on electricity
supplies.
Approval of expenditure—special cases. Local Authorities were given discretionary
powers to approve retrospectively for grant purposes, expenditure which an owner
or occupier incurred without the local authority's prior approval, after confirmation
of an Order by the Minister. Approval would also be given for work carried out
after the date of the making of an Order by a local authority, provided the Order
was later confirmed. These amendments only applied to expenditure incurred after
16th August, 1964, and were intended to assist in hard or deserving individual cases
where there had been genuine misunderstanding or where there were other special
considerations.
Discretionary grants. The Minister was enabled to make an Exchequer contribution
towards local authorities expenses on any discretionary grants made after 16th
August, 1964, in excess of the normal seven-tenths of reasonably necessary expenditure
on adaptations. The Minister asked for estimates of such additional grants
to be supplied separately when Smoke Control Orders are submitted for confirmation.
Grant on means of ignition. Grant was made available for providing a gas poker or
electric igniter without the previous condition that other works must be involved.
Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution
During 1964, the Council maintained standard deposit gauges and lead dioxide
candles at Birkbeck Avenue, Greenford, and at Longfield Depot at the rear of the
Town Hall, and these gave information of local value and served to indicate the level
of pollution in the immediate areas concerned. The deposit bowls and candles were
changed monthly and the results determined by a private analyst.
In addition, there were three sets of equipment which provided daily measurements
of smoke and sulphur dioxide by the volumetric system. These were located at the
Town Hall, at Eliots Green Grammar School, Northolt, and at Walpole Grammar
School, Ealing. The results obtained from these instruments were submitted to the
Warren Spring Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
and formed part of the national survey of air pollution. The Council is indebted to the
Headmasters of Eliots Green and Walpole Grammar Schools for the facilities provided
and for their help and interest in recording the daily readings.
The tables and graphs in the following pages give details of the monthly results
from the deposit gauges and lead dioxide candles, and the average monthly results
obtained from the daily readings from the three sets of volumetric apparatus.
Dark Smoke from Industrial Premises
The adoptive Section 47 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1961, was brought
into force in the Borough, by special resolution of the Council, and took effect as from
1st September, 1962. This Section prohibits the emission of dark smoke from any
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