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During the year, the Council made two further Smoke Control Orders, planned
to become operative in the summer and autumn of 1965.
The new arrangements for smoke control areas, described in Circular 69/63 of
the Ministry of Health and Local Government, necessitated some changes in the Clean
Air Act itself. Since these related only to dwellings, the Minister included the
necessary amendments in the Housing Act, 1964, Section 95. Briefly, under the
provisions of this section a "new dwelling" ineligible for grant is one on which erection
began after August 16th, 1964, and not July 5th, 1956, as was formerly the case.
If the supply of any fuel is likely to be insufficient within an area, the local authority
must by resolution designate (prescribe) appliances suitable only for such fuel as being
unsuitable for the area.
Under the provisions of the Section, the Minister is empowered to designate
classes of appliances which are in his opinion unsuitable "as placing undue strain on
fuel resources" either locally or generally. He has, in fact, by Circular No. 60/64
designated direct acting electric space heaters which no longer rank for grant payment
within Smoke Control Areas.
Discretionary power is also given in the Section to a local authority to approve for
grant purposes expenditure incurred on adaptations after an order has been made but
before it is confirmed by the Minister. Such adaptations did not formerly qualify
for grant.
The new Act also provides for a larger contribution from the Exchequer to a
local authority when discretionary grants are made in cases of hardship, and means of
ignition for fires are now eligible for grant whether or not other " works" are
involved.
Atmospheric Pollution
Other contributions to the attainment of a smoke free atmosphere are secured
through the operation of the remainder of the Clean Air Act and regulations made
thereunder.
Nuisances from smoke, apart from that emitted from chimneys, is a problem in
all urban areas in which pockets of industry are situated. In 1963 the Council
adopted Section 47 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1961. This prohibits the
emission of dark smoke from industrial premises and is designed to prevent nuisance
from the open air burning of material done as part of a reclamation process, e.g., the
burning off of insulating material to salvage the metal cable.
Factory chimneys are kept under observation and any emission of dark smoke
which exceeds the permissible limits in the Dark Smoke (Permitted Periods) Regulations
is immediately dealt with. The discharge of dark smoke from a chimney usually
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