View report page

relating to Smoke Control Areas and gives full information
of grant facilities. Considering the magnitude of the
task the operation of these Areas has been carried out very
smoothly and householders and landlords have co-operated
extremely well.
The early notification of the Council's intentions
enables residents to use up their stocks of coal well
before the operative date of the Order.
Further letters are sent to all residents at the time
the formal Order is made by the Council and also when the
Order is confirmed by the Minister of Housing and Local
Government. A public meeting is held in each Area, and
affords an opportunity to explain the Council's policy and
answer questions. Residents are advised on the best use
of the authorised smokeless fuels and how to obtain the
best results from the appliances they will be fitting.
The fuel appliance demonstration hut purchased in
1958 has been in regular use in the Abbey Wood Areas to
the end of the year. Numerous enquiries from occupiers
of houses in the adjacent Smoke Control Areas have been
dealt with. In the hut there were three solid fuel
appliances burning coke. The hut was manned by the staff
of the Health Department.
During 1959 the Council was able to purchase from the
Solid Smokeless Fuels Federation their Mobile Fuel
Demonstration Caravan for use in the Borough. This
caravan is being used in Smoke Control Areas and in other
Clean Air campaigns of the Council. The caravan
demonstrates three solid fuel approved appliances under
fire, namely an open fire, a convector open fire and a
closed stove burning coke. It also has samples of all
the authorised fuels. It is staffed by members of the
Health Department.
Authorised Fuels
The local supply of the proprietary or "premium"
authorised fuels has improved recently, and no complaints
have been received from residents in Smoke Control Areas
of inability to obtain authorised fuel. With the
marketing of further varieties of smokeless fuel, residents
in Smoke Control Areas have been advised that providing
they do not insist upon delivery of only one brand of fuel
-45-