View report page

John Evelyn's powerful indictment and most eloquent pleas fell on deaf ears and throughout
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries advocates of clean air were faced with a similar insensitivity
of opinion among the great mass of people.
During the early part of the twentieth century clean air campaigners and voluntary
organisations intensified their efforts and successive attempts were made to introduce effective
legislation that would amend earlier enactments to enable the problem of atmospheric pollution to
be dealt with on a national basis. Nevertheless, despite these activities and efforts, no real
progress was made in cleaning the air and indeed it was not until the disastrous London smog of
1952 which caused 4,000 deaths, that the urgency of the problem was finally acknowledged. It
needed the tragic consequences of that smog to reach the headlines of national newspapers and
its social and economic impact led to the appointment of yet another investigating committee in
March 1953 under the chairmanship of Sir Hugh Beaver to investigate the nature, causes and
effects of atmospheric pollution and to suggest what action could be taken. Their final report and
recommendations led to the introduction of the Clean Air Act, 1956 and for the first time in the
history of clean air legislation, local authorities were able to establish smoke control areas and
deal effectively with smoke from domestic appliances which constitutes as much as four-fifths of
the total pollution in the atmosphere.
Subject to certain exemptions and limitations, it is an offence to emit smoke from the
chimney of any building within a smoke control area.
SMOKE CONTROL AREAS
Before smoke control areas can be brought into operation much detailed procedural work
is necessary involving a survey of premises in the proposed area to ascertain the existing pattern
of fuel usage; the number and types of appliances that will have to be adapted or replaced; an
estimate of the cost of such conversions; an estimate of smokeless fuel requirements; approval of
the scheme by the local authority and the submission of the smoke control order to the Ministry of
Housing and Local Government for confirmation.
An essential part of the procedure for the establishment of smoke control areas is that
the Council's proposals should receive as much publicity as possible. The Department's main
task during the months between the confirmation and the coming into operation of the order is to
facilitate the carrying out of conversions and adaptations to fireplaces in dwelling houses and
other premises and to give advice to householders. Tenants and owners affected by a smoke
control order are given every possible assistance and are supplied with full information about the
choice of appliances and the procedure for claiming grant which amounts to 7/10ths of the
expenditure necessarily incurred in complying with the order. Arrangements are also made for
mobile exhibitions to be stationed at sites within the area and for practical demonstrations to be
given on the use of solid fuel and other appliances.
The Council's phased programme for the establishment of smoke control areas aimed at
dealing with 4,000 premises per year which means that the whole Borough should be under smoke
control within nine years. The programme continues to make satisfactory progress with the
confirmation of two more smoke control orders; this brings the total number of orders in operation
to nineteen comprising 35,952 premises and covering 5,376 acres, about 55% of the Boroughsee
map at end of Report.
Other measures taken to mitigate air pollution include approval of new factory furnaces
and chimney heights, inspection of existing boiler installations and discussions with engineering
and managerial staff.
31