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that the number of appliances in regular use,in dwellings, and which
required replacement or adaptation, was 1,433. Included in this number
were 1,280 open fires, 86% of which were found to require replacement
by approved appliances. The Smoke Control Order for this area was made
by the Council in November, and at the end of the year the Minister's
confirmation of the Order was awaited. Meantime the preliminary survey
of the second Smoke Control Area was commenced.
At the beginning of the year a Circular was issued by the Minister
of Housing and Local Government, in which he stated that he hoped it
would be possible for local authorities in the 'Black Areas' (of which
London is one) to make faster progress in making smoke control areas,
and asked local authorities to decide on the Smoke Control Orders needed
in their areas, in which order of priority they should be made, and how
many years were likely to be taken to complete the work; and that they
should prepare a phased programme for establishing Smoke Control Areas
over the next five years. As a result, the Council submitted to the
Minister a programme outlining the proposed establishment of a Smoke
Control Area during each of the subsequent four years, and aiming at
the making of smoke control orders covering the whole of the Borough by
the year 1970.
Facing this page is a map showing the first Smoke Control Areas
proposed to be established in the Borough.
Prior approval was given during the year to plans and specifications
of furnaces submitted under Section 3 of the Act and proposed to
be installed in four industrial premises, and notifications of proposal
to instal furnaces were received in respect of eleven other premises.
The Council supported a proposed Bill against the statutory
exemption of furnaces equipped with mechanical stokers.
Measurements of air pollution are regularly taken in the Borough
by means of deposit gauges and lead peroxide instruments, which give
monthly records of deposited matter and of concentration of sulphur
in the air, and also by combined smoke filters and volumetric sulphur
dioxide apparatus which afford daily readings.
Summaries of the recordings obtained from these instruments will
be found in Tables 8 and 9 on pages 59 and 60, and details of visits
and inspections made by the Smoke and Factories Inspector are given on
page 61.
Drainage and Sanitary Conveniences.
The owners of three premises appealed against notices served on
them under Section 40 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, in
respect of defective drains> on the grounds that, as the drains served
other premises, the owners of those premises were liable to contribute
towards the expense of executing the work. In one case the appeal was
subsequently withdrawn on payment of £3.3.0d costs to the Council. In
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