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105
General Observations.
Leyton is one small unit in a large belt of smoke-producing
Boroughs. Having due regard to this, and the afore-mentioned
factors, it would appear to be neither practicable nor profitable to
attempt to deal with the problem of atmospheric pollution in Leyton
by the setting up of smokeless zones without also taking into
consideration the Greater London Area as a whole. The problem of
smoke abatement is closely related to redevelopment—relocation of
industry, slum clearance and new housing.
Many of the questions to be considered in creating smokeless
zones are of national as well as of local significance—a Central
Government Committee of Enquiry has already been set up to
investigate and report on atmospheric pollution.
In conclusion, attention is drawn to the fact that Leyton is
one of the few Boroughs throughout the country which possesses
special local powers for smoke prevention not contained in national
legislation. Section 50 of the Leyton Corporation Act, 1950,
imposes restrictions on the type of new furnaces installed for steam
raising in certain types of industrial and commercial buildings.
The furnaces must, as far as practicable, be capable of being
operated continuously without emitting smoke. Although this
Section is not applicable to domestic premises, the desirability
of installing appliances suitable for smokeless fuel in new housing
will no doubt be borne in mind by the appropriate Department of
the Council when plans for future housing development in the
Borough are considered.
Prior approval of proposed fuel burning installations should
be regarded as supplementary to the smokeless zone. As a method of
control of atmospheric pollution in an area it is less spectacular
and of lesser news value than the smokeless zone, but is more
practical in its operation in that control is applied to individual
cases as they arise and it consequently produces less opposition
and is more practicable than the immediate prohibition of all smoke
by one comprehensive enactment. It is one thing to abate smoke
to below an accepted nuisance level and another to abolish it
entirely as must be done in smokeless zones.