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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Richmond upon Thames 1968

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]

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Table: 3. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTIONThe following Smoke Control Orders became operative during the year:

3. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION

The following Smoke Control Orders became operative during the year:

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

Table: There are now 11,637 acres including 52,112 premises subject to Smoke Control Orders and, during the year, the following two additional Orders were made with the operative dates proposed for the end of 1969.

There are now 11,637 acres including 52,112 premises subject to Smoke Control Orders and, during the year, the following two additional Orders were made with the operative dates proposed for the end of 1969.

Acreage.Number of Dwellings.Number of other Premises.
Barnes No. 10 Order2241,57476
Twickenham No. 8 Order2032,535191

Table: The following Order was also submitted to the Council at the end of the year with a proposed operative date in December, 1969.

The following Order was also submitted to the Council at the end of the year with a proposed operative date in December, 1969.

Acreage.Number of Dwellings.Number of other Premises.
Richmond No. 10 Order20063914

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Assurance given in the past by the Gas Boards that adequate supplies of coke
would be available for Smoke Control Areas made before late 1966, continue to be
honoured and I have heard of no difficulties in obtaining sufficient supplies of other
solid smokeless fuels.
Householders in smoke control areas are still burning bituminous coal and logs of
wood. Informal approaches have always resulted in cessation of the practice. However,
it is disturbing to find that a proportion of persons newly taking up residence in
Smoke Control Areas are quite unaware of the existence of an Order governing their
premises, consequently coal is brought from their previous dwellings and they only
discover their error from their neighbours, coal merchants or from the Public Health
Inspector when he calls.
Householders continue to have a freedom of choice for grant purposes in the
selection of replacement appliances and below are listed their preferences expressed in
percentages.
1968 1967 1966
Gas Room Heaters 69% 66% 51%
Open Fires14% 19% 33%
Solid Fuel Heating Stoves 12% 10% 14%
Electric Storage Heaters 5% 5% 2%
The continued move towards gas heating produces a negligible amount of atmospheric
pollution, and as the number of open fires decreases annually it appears that the
Englishman is being wooed away by High Speed Gas from his traditional open fire.
At the year's end the Minister decided to cancel the prohibition of grant aid
towards the fitting of direct acting electric space heaters. The permission to pay grants
in fitting such heaters was too late to affect the current Smoke Control Areas, but it
will be interesting to see what effect this will have on the ratio of preferred appliances
chosen by the householders.
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