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CLEAN AIR
Chronic bronchitis is described as the English Disease and the mortality from
lung cancer rises annually. Both these diseases are related to atmospheric pollution.
Pollution of the atmosphere causes millions of pounds worth of damage to buildings,
all sorts of materials, agriculture and horticulture every year. Finchley Borough
Council have pursued a vigorous policy of smoke control since the inception of the
Clean Air Act, 1956, which is simply described as an Act to make provision for
abating the pollution of the air.
Smoke Control Areas
For the purposes of the provisions of this Act, the Borough has been divided
into 14 areas. In 6 of these, Smoke Control Orders were in force at the end of 1962.
This year a further 2 areas covering the N.3 part of the district, south of the London
Transport Board Railway, were the subject of Orders which came into force on 1st
October. In the same month the Council made a Smoke Control Order to cover a
large part of the N.2 area which is due to become operative on the 1st October, 1964,
when 53% of the total acreage of the Borough will be a Smoke Control Area.
In December, the Minister stated in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
Circular 69/63 that although it remains the Government's intention to encourage
and facilitate vigorous action against urban smoke pollution, a re-assessment of the
availability and demand for fuel and power requires revised arrangements for the
implementation of further Smoke Control Areas.
This revision in the main relates to two factors, firstly the future limited production
of open fire coke due to technological changes in the gas industry, and secondly
to the difficulties which the electricity supply industry is at present experiencing in
meeting peak loads in very cold weather. He emphasized that sufficient supplies of
smokeless solid fuels for use in "improved" open grates will continue to be available
to meet the needs of those living in areas already subject to smoke control, including
areas covered by Smoke Control Orders confirmed by him but not yet in operation, and
that producers and distributors will do all that they can to ensure that these needs
continue to be met.
Submission of further proposals for Smoke Control Areas may be subject to
amendments to the Clean Air Act, enactment of the recently published Housing Bill,
consultations with fuel and power producers and distributors and with neighbouring
local authorities. He further considered that the installation of openable stoves, under
floor draught open fires or fixed gas, electric storage or oil heaters should now be
regarded as "reasonably necessary" works, and that the full expenditure of such
installations should rank for grant subject to certain conditions.
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