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24
10. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
Clean Air Act. 1956 - Smoke Control Areas. Smoke Control Order
No. 3 became operative on the 1st Octobers, 1963 covering an area of
approximately 135 acres bounded by Cambridge Road, London Road,
Kingston Hill and the Municipal Boundary with Maiden & Coombe.
The number of premises affected is as follows -
Domestic 1,271
Commercial 110
Industrial 2
Other 7
In December, the Minister of Housing and Local Government
confirmed the making of the No. k Smoke Control Order, the operative
date being October 1st, 1964, covering an area of approximately 141
acres bounded by Portsmouth Road, The Bittoms, Grove Crescent, Grove
Lane, Lingfield Avenue and Uxbridge Road.
The number of premises affected is as follows -
Domestic 1,151
Commercial 71
Industrial 3
Other 24
During the year survey work was started in Area No. 5 which
covers approximately 142 acres and includes over 1,130 dwellings and
commercial premises in the south west part of the town. This will
extend from Areas 1, 2 and 4 via Bonner Hill Road to the Municipal
Boundary with Maiden & Coombe.
By the end of the year the area covered by Smoke Control Orders
made or confirmed, comprised some 437 of the Borough's 1,408 acres.
To some who may be impatient at what may appear to be a slow rate of
progress, it must be explained that this is dependent upon the production
of approved appliances and the availability of labour for fixing,
bearing in mind that the neighbouring boroughs also are proceeding
with similar smoke control programmes. Much depends upon the assured
adequate supply of alternative smokeless fuels particularly in view of
the demands which vary as the changing trends in domestic heating make
themselves apparent.
At the present time there is a marked preference for gas room
heaters and the sales of these appliances have increased remarkably
during the last year. More recently there has been a similar interest
in openable stoves which will burn coke satisfactorily and are capable
of providing a limited amount of central heating.