London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Twickenham 1962

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Twickenham]

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Schedule. There were no applications for cancellation of certificates.
CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956
Smoke Control Areas
As a result of changes in the administrative requirements of
the Ministry of Housing and Local Government it was possible to
dispense with a detailed survey of every private dwelling in the
area before making a Smoke Control Order, and the Corporation were
then able to speed up their programme for converting the whole of the
Borough into one smoke controlled area.
The first Smoke Control Order came into force on the 1st
October, 1962, and the second made on the 8th May, 1962, was confirmed
by the Minister on the 20th December, 1962, By the end of
1962, through these orders, positive action had been taken in
respect of over 10,000 dwellings. However, by the end of the year,
only one order was actually in force and experience gained in
dealing with this first order should help considerably in the future.
Of the 1,300 houses dealt with in the first Order only
approximately 1/3 of the householders made any application for
approval of works, and it is now apparent that it will not cost the
Corporation nearly as much as the £100,000 originally estimated.
It has also been possible to reach the following conclusions -
1. In order to avoid numerous office enquiries and
unnecessary calls by the public health inspectors, it
is essential that each individual householder should
be given as much information as possible, with the aid
of pamphlets, exhibitions, etc.
2. As much time as possible should be given to enable householders
to arrange with builders, etc., to carry out the
necessary works of adaptation' etc. There is sometimes
a considerable time lag between the date when the order
is given and the date of completion of work.
3. Legislation should be brought in to prohibit the sale
of bituminous coal to dwelling houses situated within
the area of a smoke control order.
4. All types of authorised solid fuels should be more
readily available to householders within the area.
Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution
In January 1962, in addition to the existing station at
Elmfield House, Teddington, new stations were set up in the Clinics
at Hampton and Whitton and it was agreed to co-operate in the
national scheme for the measurement of air pollution.
This scheme takes in over 100 towns situated throughout the
country and it is estimated that the survey will take five years to
complete.
In December 1962 the Warren Spring Laboratory published a leaflet
explaining the factors influencing air pollution by sulphur compounds
in residential smoke control areas, viz:-
"Whenever the introduction of smoke control areas under the
Clean Air Act is being considered it is generally said that while
the changes will reduce the emission of smoke to negligble proportions,
pollution by sulphur compounds would probably be unaffected,
but it is often implied that pollution by sulphur might, in fact,
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