View report page

(31)
conversions of fireplaces in 226 houses in No. 2 Area before the end of the
year.
The survey for No. 3 Area was started in 1960 and when completed, the
Council made their No. 3 Smoke Control Order, submitted it to the Minister in
August 1961, and received confirmation in December 1961, with the operative
date on 30th September 19&2, the same date as the No. 2 Order. The circular
letters and application forms were sent out before the end of the year.
The survey for No. 4 Area comprising approximately 674 houses commenced
In September .
The procedure for obtaining these Orders has been modified by the Ministry:
this has relieved us of some office work and makes for a speeding up by permitting
the full survey to be started earlier.
Next year should be an extremely busy one with applications to be approved,
work inspected and grants paid in respect of two areas whilst the survey and
estimating proceeds for a third one.
CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1961.
This enactment, which came into operation on 19th August 1961, repealed
the Heating Appliances (Fireguards) Act, 1952, incorporating that legislation
in wider terms to cover the making of regulations laying down enforceable
standards as to safety requirements and instructions for any prescribed class
of goods. The old Fireguards Regulations were continued in force, but no
contraventions were noted.
Also repealed and superseded was the Oil Burners (Standards) Act, ^^60,
which came into operation on 1st January 19^1: no Regulations for oil heaters
had been issued by the end of the year.
NOISE ABATEMENT ACT. 1960.
This Act added "noise or vibration which is a nuisance" to the list of
statutory nuisances, actionable by Part III of the Public Health Act, 1936.
One or two complaints of noise were investigated, but were not deemed to
justify formal action. Noise nuisance is very much a matter of individual
opinion, and in the absence of defined standards it may be very difficult to