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SECTION F
Atmospheric Pollution
SMOKE CONTROL AREAS
Work proceeded steadily throughout the year in connection with the formation
of Smoke Control Areas under the Clean Air Act, 1956. The position at the end of
the year regarding these Areas was as follows:-
Area No.l (Elstree and parts of Edgware)
The Order controlling this area came into operation on 1st September, 1960,
but works of adaptation to fireplaces were still taking place in 1961.
Of the 658 properties in the area, adaptations to or conversion of fireplaces
were necessary at 122. Despite repeated letters and visits by the Public Health
Inspectors very few occupiers of the houses concerned had submitted schemes for
approval by the date of the coming into operation of the Order. To enable those
who delayed in submitting their proposals still to claim grant towards the costs
of the works, the Council, as this was the first area in the Borough, agreed to
the service of Statutory Notices under the Act. This was continued until 30th
June, 1961 by which time the Council thought that every reasonable opportunity had
been given to occupiers to deal with any necessary adaptations. Even so, by this
date out of a possible 192 adaptations at 122 premises, only 71 at 48 premises were
carried out and claims for grants made.
At the remaining 74 premises the position is as follows:-
Work carried out but householder did not bother
to claim grant 6
Work carried out but no grant paid as conditions
of grant were not fulfilled e.g. work not up
to required standard 4
Householders burning "premium" smokeless fuels
in existing unapproved appliances 15
Portable gas, electric or oil heaters being used
instead of fireplaces 25
Central heating installed 14
Premises to be demolished 10
Those relying on the fact that "premium" smokeless fuels can easily be burned
in ordinary stool bottom grates may, if supplies of these fuels become not so
readily available due to the increase in the numbers of smoke control areas, find
themselves in difficulty if they are at times only able to obtain coke, which will
not burn readily in these grates.
On no occasion, however, has any contravention of the provisions of the Act
relating to the emission of smoke from chimneys been noticed in the area.
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