London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finchley 1957

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]

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therewith, a number of soil fittings were found to be connected to the
surface water sewers and appropriate action was taken for these to
be made to discharge into the soil sewers.
Clean Air Act, 1956
The above Act deals with the control of dark smoke, smoke from
furnaces, smoke control areas and special cases of smoke emission,
which include special processes to be dealt with under the Alkali Act,
colliery spoil-banks, railway engines, vessels and Crown premises.
It also make provision for the establishment of a Clean Air
Council for England and Wales.
Certain sections of the Act came into operation on the 31st
December, 1956, including those relating to the height of chimneys
and smoke control areas.
With regard to the latter, any local authority may make an order,
which must be confirmed by the Minister, declaring the whole or any
part of its district as a smoke control area. Subject to any stated
exceptions and limitations, the emission of chimney smoke in such an
area, on any day, is an offence unless the emission was caused only
by the burning of an authorised fuel.
If the owner or occupier of a private dwelling which is in, or
will be in, a smoke control area, has to incur expenditure in adapting
his heating arrangements, the local authority shall repay him seventenths
of the cost.
A survey was made of approximately 10% of the 1,400 premises
in the southern portion of the Hampstead Garden Suburb, the area
being about 435 acres in extent. Particulars with regard to this
proposed area and the estimated costs were submitted to the Public
Health Committee, but the Council decided to take no action for the
time being.
Smoke Abatement
The factory chimneys in the area have been kept under observation
and generally little nuisance from smoke or grit has occurred.
Twenty complaints were received during the year, a number of
them relating to burning of garden and other refuse.
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