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

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Richmond upon Thames 1967

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]

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out at the retail shop where the sample was procured and the matter was also referred
to the Health Department of the Authority from whose district the retailer had obtained
this meat. A follow up sample was taken and reported upon as being satisfactory.
(7) The Liquid Egg (Pasteurisation) Regulations, 1963.
There are no pasteurisation plants in the district and the fourteen samples of
liquid egg taken were submitted for bacteriological examination only and not for the
Alpha-Amylase test.

3. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION

The following Smoke Control Orders became operative during the year :

Acreage.Number of Dwellings.Number of other Premises.
Barnes No. 8 Order6881,48396
Richmond No. 8 Order1531,953127
Twickenham No. 6 Order2,4414,722526

There are now 10,564 acres including 47,466 premises subject to such Smoke
Control Orders. The smooth and trouble-free implementation of the exceptionally
large area in Twickenham was only made possible bv the efforts of all three Technical

Assistants and the Clerical Staff. The Council also made the following Smoke Control Orders during the year intending them to be operative in 1968.

Acreage.Number of Dwellings.Numberof other Premises.
Barnes No. 9 Order931,33798
Richmond No. 9 Order8171,469146
Twickenham No. 7 Order1631,473123

The map on page 65 shows the progress made to 31st December, 1967.
The Gas Boards have honoured their past assurances that adequate supplies of
coke will be available for areas made before late 1966, and no difficulty is known in
obtaining sufficient supplies of other solid smokeless fuels. Some householders in
Smoke Control Areas have, however, been purchasing bituminous coal and informal
approaches to these users and the suppliers resulted in the cessation of the practice in
each instance. Householders continue to have freedom of choice, for grant purposes,
in the selection of replacement appliances and their preferences are listed below, the
1966 percentage being bracketed for comparison.
Gas room heaters 66% (51%)
Open fires 19% (33%)
Solid fuel heating stoves 10% (14%)
Electric storage heaters 5% ( 2%)
This is a remarkable move away from the open fire and illustrates that the demand
is for convenience and cleanliness which, at the same time, reduces the pollution
potential to a minimum. It was necessary during the year to serve a notice upon an
Owner of a tenanted house requiring him to adapt a fireplace to enable the occupier
to comply with the Act. This action was necessitated by the policy of the Council of
not approving 100% grant payments to tenants. No prosecutions were taken during
the year, but operators of under feed stokers burning bituminous fuel often required
reminders about the proper maintenance of the plant. Experience has shown that the
installation of new furnaces will readily give rise to the emission of dense smoke. On
two occasions stern warnings resulted in vigorous action being taken to abate such
nuisances. The law as it now stands cannot require the prior testing of an oil burner
or stoker off-site so as to ensure that it will operate satisfactorily when initially fired.
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