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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 as an Act to
make provision for abating the pollution of the air but it deals solely with the
visible pollutants, e.g. smoke and grit.
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.
The Council has pursued an active smoke control programme but because of
the difficult economic situation in reoent years, it has had to modify its programme.
Only one Smoke Control Order came into operation during the year. This Order,
the No. 15 Smoke Control Order, included 6,111 premises and covered 604 acres.
Two other areas were surveyed during 1968 and the proposals submitted to the
Minister for confirmation, but they do not come into operation until 1969 and 1970.
By the end of 1968 there were twenty-two Smoke Control Orders in operation,
covering 15-339 acres and including 61,913 premises. Redevelopment within the
areas covered by these Orders has increased the number of premises further and it
is estimated that about 70% of the premises in the borough are now smoke controlled.
The original programmed date for the whole of the borough to be smoke controlled
was 1970 but this is now likely to be delayed until 1972/73.
The year saw the passing of the Clean Air Act, 1968, by Parliament, but the
implementation of the provisions of the Act are deferred until a date to be appointed
by the Minister. The new Act widens the provisions of the principal Act and makes
it an offence to sell or acquire unauthorised fuels in a Smoke Control Area. The
Minister is also given power to require a local authority to prepare a smoke control
programme for his approval and to make regulations prescribing limits on emissions
of grit and dust from the chimneys of certain furnaces.
Smoke is produced by incomplete combustion. It is wasteful of heat as well
as unsightly and costly in the damage it causes. With the high cost of fuels there
is a financial incentive for the large users to ensure their complete combustion. Little
trouble is experienced from the majority of industrial plants but a few, particularly
the metallurgical processes, can cause problems in localised areas. Domestic chimneys
make the major contribution to the atmospheric pollution, discharging smoke at
low level from a large number of outlets. Unfortunately, the older domestic
appliances are not capable of burning bituminous fuels without producing smoke
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