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25
Smoke Nuisance. Thirty-four complaints were received in respect of
smoke nuisance, seventeen of which referred to the burning of rubbish,,
This type of nuisance is sometimes created by the thoughtless action
of persons who are unaware of the proper means of disposal, but on
many occasions it is caused by a complete disregard of the rights and
feelings of others who are subjected to considerable annoyance from
smoke, disagreeable fumes and ash.
Much nuisance would be avoided if soft rubbish such as lawn mowings
could be composted. As the soil in the area is mainly light, the addition
of humus would help to enrich it. Tree trimmings and woody stems should
be laid on a wire mesh rack and when dried, this material will burn
quickly with a minimum of smoke.
Six premises were the subject of twelve complaints. One of these
was Kingston Hospital where from time to time soot emission is excessive.
The difficulty here lies in the inherent obsolete layout of the plant
and the means whereby the boilers are connected to the chimney. This was
designed and constructed for the use of natural draught with solid fuel
boilers at relatively low efficiency. The replacement of the present
installation by a new boiler house is the answer to the problem. It is
hoped that this work, which has been delayed on a number of occasions,
will soon be commenced.
The chimneys of two laundries and a garage heating plant also gave
cause for complaint of excessive soot emission. In the former cases it
was a matter of maintenance and adjustment of the oil burning equipment,
and in the latter case it is hoped to replace the present rather primitive
form of heating with something more efficient.
The other premises concerned were a car breaker's yard where certain
of the unsalvable material was being disposed of by burning, and the
bonfires lit by the contractors upon the demolition of the Tannery Buildings,
These fires were the cause of much unnecessary atmospheric pollution, and
it is to be deplored that adequate legal sanctions are not available to
effectively control this type of nuisance.
The five remaining complaints were domestic in character, and
advice was given in these cases.
Chimney Heights, In May the long awaited memorandum on chimney heights
was published by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, This gives
guidance to Local Authorities when considering plans of certain buildings
which include proposals for new chimneys.
The method recommended in the memorandum is based on the expected
sulphur dioxide emission calculated by reference to the maximum load on
the proposed boilers and the sulphur content of the fuel to be used.
Charts are provided by means of which, first an uncorrected and then a
corrected height is obtained, the result depending on the type of district