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HARDSHIP CASES
The Clean Air Act gives the Council discretion to paygreater
than 7/10ths grant where it considers this to be
reasonable. To cover cases of financial hardship, the
Council decided to pay the whole cost of reasonable works
in the case of owner/occupiers who were Retirement Pensioners
and who were also receiving National Assistance.
Later, as in some instances Retirement Pensioners who
were eligible for National Assistance were not applying for
it, the Council extended its decision to include such persons.
A total of 13 payments were made.
CHURCHES
The Council has discretion to pay such grant as it
thinks fit in respect of conversions in Churches, Church
Halls, etc. Following a recommendation of the Metropolitan
Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee, the Council agreed to
contribute 30 per cent. of the reasonable cost and to give
consideration to any representations Church Authorities may
wish to make for greater payment. During the year one
payment of 30 per cent. was made.
PROCEDURE
The Memorandum on Smoke Control Areas, issued by the
Minister of Housing and Local Government, required that the
Council, after agreeing in principle to the setting up of
a Smoke Control Area should submit details to the Minister
for preliminary approval. Representations have been made
by various bodies to the Ministry that this preliminary
approval was unnecessary in "black" areas after the approval
of a local authority's first Smoke Control Order. An
alternative suggestion was for the Minister to agree to a
'block' approval for the whole of a local authority area.
A simpler procedure is to be adopted for the future.
LIGHTING SOLID SMOKELESS FUEL
The Council has given every encouragement to the
installation of gas ignition as the easiest means of
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