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CLEAN AIR
The relationship in this country between atmospheric pollution and lung disease
is generally accepted.
Pollution of the atmosphere also causes extensive damage to buildings, materials,
agriculture, and horticulture. The Clean Air Act, 1956, is described simply as an
Act to make provision for abating the pollution of the air.
Smoke Control Areas
Section 11 of the Act gives local authorities the power to establish smoke
control areas in which, subject to any exemptions and limitations and certain conditions,
if, on any day, smoke is emitted from a chimney of any building within
the area, the occupier of that building shall be guilty of an offence.
During 1965 four Smoke Control Orders submitted by the former Boroughs
came into operation:—Edmonton No. 6 and No. 7; Enfield No 5; Southgate No. 5.
These areas included a total of 14,671 premises and covered 1,645 acres. Two
areas, covering 1,270 acres and including 7,229 premises, were submitted to the
Minister for confirmation towards the end of 1965, the dates for the coming into
operation of these Orders being in 1966.
By the end of 1965, 17 Smoke Control Orders covering 12,495 acres and
including 41,043 premises, were in operation. A programme of approximately
15,000 premises a year has been agreed by the Council and it is anticipated that the
whole Borough will be covered by 1970.
Of the total air pollution, the major contribution is considered to be from
domestic premises, but industrial sources are usually concentrated and may be the
cause of considerable local concern. The Act is mainly concerned with smoke and
grit emission from chimneys and the proper combustion of fuels, including
bituminous coal which may be quite suitable in industrial furnaces. Unfortunately,
the domestic appliances are not so adaptable and smokeless fuels must be used,
necessitating the installation of appliances capable of burning solid smokeless fuels,
or the provision of gas, elecricity or oil heating appliances.
Most people have readily accepted the introduction of smoke control areas and
few complaints have been received. These have usually concerned the availability
of fuels, but the Ministry will not confirm an Order unless satisfied that adequate
supplies of fuel are available. This does not mean that supplies of one particular
fuel will always be available, but there will always be an alternative and it is
advisable to install an appliance capable of burning any of the "authorised" fuels.
There appears to be some misunderstanding about the effect of a Smoke Control
Order and many people still refer to a Smokeless Zone. The effect of the Order
is to require the householders within the area to use "authorised" fuels. These
fuels are:—anthracite, cokes, manufactured smokeless fuels, Welsh dry steam coal,
electricity, gas and oil. The order refers only to the emission of smoke from
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