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23
During the year survey work was started in Area No. 6 which
covers approximately 56 acres and includes over l,205 dwellings
and commercial premises in the south west part of the town. This
will be enclosed by Areas 2, 3 and 5 and the Municipal Boundary with
Maiden & Coombe.
By the end of the year the area covered by Smoke Control Orders
made or confirmed comprised some 615 of the Borough's l,408 acres,,
The rate of progress depends 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
programme So It is essential also that there should be an 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 in
recent years. 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.
Smoke Nuisance. Twenty-six complaints were received in respect
of smoke nuisance, eleven 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.
Three complaints referred to 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 commencedo
Demolitions and building sites where rubbish was being burned
were the subject of four complaints,, Other premises concerned were a
garage, a restaurant and a factory where metal hardening is carried out
and a building site where excessive smoke was being emitted by a diesel
engined compressor.