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Common Lodging Houses in the Borough. The number of inspections made during
the year was 34. Details of the accommodation available are as follows:—
Premises. Accommodation
(Men)
60, Beresford Street 50
102, Woolwich High Street 22
River Thames—Offensive Smells.
The offensive smells from the River Thames were again a source of complaint
during the summer months of 1950. During the previous year the Council had
made representations to the London County Council and the Port of London
Authority on this matter and were informed that an improvement programme of
capital works, at an estimated cost of £3,000,000 had been adopted by the County
Council and was to be put in hand as soon as possible.
Work was commenced in September, 1950, on the erection of new primary
sedimentation tanks at the Northern Outfall Works as part of this programme.
However, in view of the seriousness of the condition of the river, the Borough Council
sent representations to the London County Council that the closest attention be given
to the problem, with a view to further instalments in the capital works programme
being speedily put in hand. Representation was also made by the Council to the
Minister of Health, pointing out that there was considerable concern locally about
the condition of the River, and that it was considered essential that works to effect
a substantial improvement should be commenced at an early date. The Minister
replied that he would be ready to authorise a further large-scale scheme of improvement
in the autumn of 1951, i.e., before the present improvement work was completed,
and he was considering proposals that further works should be undertaken
at an early date to bring about a drastic improvement in the conditions obtaining
off the Northern and Southern Outfall Works.
Atmospheric Pollution.
There has been a considerable increase recently in the number of complaints
of nuisance caused by the emission of smoke, etc. from factory chimneys in the
Woolwich and Plumstead areas, and much attention has been given to this matter.
During the year 450 observations were made of factory chimneys in the Borough
and five notices were served requiring abatement of nuisances.
Investigations of a nuisance from fine dust emitted from a factory in the
Plumstead area have been carried out. Numerous visits to the factory were made
by officers of the Council and, following a particular observation, the owner was
pressed to effect an immediate improvement. A notice was also served requiring
the factory yard, which was congested and untidy and a source of nuisance, to be
re-arranged and tidied and at least a part of the yard enclosed and covered to enable
lorries to be loaded and unloaded under cover.
Complaints of excessive smoke from an Abbey Wood factory have been made
from time to time by nearby residents, and the Council's Smoke Abatement Inspector
has visited this factory on several occasions. Consultations with the management
have resulted in slight improvement, but the nuisance from this factory was still
a cause of complaint at the end of the year.
Several observations have been carried out on the chimneys of a large factory on
the river front. The firm concerned stated that the primary cause of the excessive
smoke was the quality of the coal being used, which was not all of one size and so
made proper stoking very difficult. Recent observations on these chimneys, however,
have shown some reduction in the amount of smoke being emitted.
At the Annual Conference of the National Smoke Abatement Society, a resolution
was passed: "That this Conference learns with regret that in many instances
bituminous coal is being burned in grates suitable for smokeless fuels in houses in
local authority estates, which is in some cases exceptionally offensive from its being
emitted at a low level from prefabricated bungalows, and asks all local authorities
to encourage the use of smokeless fuels in these grates."
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