View report page

134
No contravention of the Smoke Control Orders was reported or
detected.
Numerous complaints of nuisance from smoke from lighting
of bonfires in smoke control areas, as in other parts of the
Borough were received. A Smoke Control Order does not
prohibit the lighting of bonfires but if the smoke emitted is a
nuisance to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood action can be
taken under the Public Health Act. Normally complaints concerning
bonfires are dealt with by informal action. The disposal
of garden refuse, even when composting is practised, does present
a problem and, therefore, bonfires have to be accepted as a necessary
evil.
Atmospheric Pollution
Under Section 3 of the Act, all new furnaces must be capable
of being operated without emitting smoke and, except in the case
of small domestic boilers, notification of proposals to install new
furnaces has to be given to the local authority. The majority of
notifications received by the Department during the year related
to the installation of oil fired central heating boiler plant. When
considering such notifications, regard is had to the Memorandum
on Chimney Heights issued by the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government, which gives guidance on the calculation of chimney
heights for effective dispersal of flue gases in order to avoid
excessive ground level concentration of S02.
It was not found necessary to take any formal action under
the Clean Air Act in connection with the emission of dark smoke
or grit. There are, of course, relatively few major sources of
industrial pollution within the Borough. A number of complaints
were received of atmospheric pollution from paint spraying of
motor vehicles and grit emission from mechanical plant handling
solid fuel at a coal depot. Informal action resulted in an abatement
or amelioration of the nuisance.
Perhaps the most common complaint investigated during the
year concerned the burning of refuse by traders in the yards at the
rear of their premises. In a number of instances, warning letters
had to be sent to the offenders. Many traders feel that the collection
of trade refuse should be a free service and resent having to
pay the charge levied by the Council for the service.
Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution
Instruments for measuring the concentration of smoke and
sulphur dioxide—the two main pollutants of the atmosphere
resultant from the combustion of solid and liquid fuel—are maintained
by the Department at four selected sites within the Borough.
The sites are visited daily, readings taken and the data obtained