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Public Health Inspection of the Area
the work of the Public Health Inspectorate in relation to the environmental health
services is set out in tabular and statistical form in the following pages. There are,
however, a number of statistics which require summarising in order to present an intelligible
picture, and other matters of a topical interest which are worthy of further
elaboration.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION - SMOKE CONTROL AREAS
Leyton's first Smoke Control Order, of which full details were given in last year's
Annual Report, came into operation 1st October, 1961.
At the time of the detailed survey of the area it was estimated that 1,655 fireplaces
required some form of adaptation to ensure that smokeless fuel could be burned.
Up to the time of preparing this report (December, 1961) 706 applications from owners/
tenants seeking the Council's approval of such works had been received, involving 1,093
separate conversions. Of these applications it is interesting to note 341 (48. 3%) were
from owners, including L.B.C. properties, 268 (38.0%) from owner-occupiers, and the
remaining 97 (13.7%) from tenants. Of the 1,093 conversion/adaptations, 932 (85.3%)
were for solid fuel, 49 (4.5%) for conversion to gas, and 112 (10.2%) for conversion
to electricity.
Experience of this first Smoke Control Area has confirmed our opinion expressed
on a number of occasions at meetings of the Joint Conference of Local Authorities and
other Clean Air Associations that the procedure for the establishment of a Smoke Control
Area is unnecessarily detailed and complex.
Some idea of the vast amount of technical and administrative work involved in
bringing this Order - comprising 295 acres and 1,776 dwelling units - into operation,
may be gathered from the details given below of the procedure which must be operated
following completion of the detailed survey of the area, report to Public Health
Committee/Council and receipt of Ministry's Confirmation of the Order:-
No. of Documents,
Notices. Letters.
Inspect ions, etc.
STAGE 1 (SCA/1 - 2 & 3)
Preliminary Notice to Owner/Owner-Occupiers (with
copy and covering letter to tenants as appropriate) of
dwelling houses, setting out the requirements of the
Smoke Control Order, information as to the extent (if
any) to which existing fireplaces require adaptation or
replacement, and details of the conditions precedent to
the payment of grant towards the expenditure involved.
Enclosed with the preliminary notice is a form of
application for use by Owners/Tenants when seeking the
Council's approval for proposed work of adaptation/replacement
5,250
(13)