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(1) It comprised almost entirely a modern Council Estate and
was therefore uniform.
(2) It had no permanent smoke source in the vicinity.
(3) It suffered from no major drift.
(4) It was small but readily extensible and had already been
investigated.
(5) Public reaction had been sought.
(6) No slum clearance possibility arose.
(7) Negligible cost of conversion existed.
It should also be stressed that the policy of declaring Smoke Control
areas has started but by no means finished with Cranham as an additional
and much larger area of a more mixed housing character is already
being explored as a potential second area and this process may be
expected to continue until all Hornchurch is adequately protected from
unnecessary smoke.
A final word on this subject might be to the effect that smokeless
air will only become a reality when the Government, the Local Authority,
the fuel producers, the householder and not least the fuel distributor
are alike satisfied that it is an essential policy and take all the necessary
steps not only theoretically but practically to enforce it. The central
government has given an undoubted lead and this Council has been quick
to follow it. This example is however still readily possible of extension
amongst at least some of the other interests noted.
Publicity:
A film entitled "Guilty Chimneys" was exhibited to your Public
Health Committee and 250 copies of the booklet "Clean Air" issued by
the British Medical Association and dealing with diverse aspects of this
subject were purchased.
The various organisations represented on the Civics Committee
were approached concerning their co-operation in our clean air plans
and a certain number agreed to afford practical assistance. So far the
need to trespass upon their time in this connection has not arisen but it
is always helpful to know that such assistance is at our disposal when—
as will in all probability be the case—future publicity measures will
render their help valuable.
Local Observations:
The "EEL" Reflectometer was made available to other Authorities
for reading the day-to-day results of their volumetric SO2 apparatus.
This ensures a uniformity of results classification over an area as against
a district. Until a national arrangement is instituted embodying similar
methods it is difficult to see how widespread inconsistencies on the
evaluation of results from this type of SO2 recording apparatus are
to be avoided.
Drainage and Sewerage.
The unprecedented rainfall in September, following the preceding
excessively wet season, gave rise to widespread flooding in parts of the