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

View report page

Brentford and Chiswick 1953

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Brentford and Chiswick]

This page requires JavaScript

Monthly reports of recordings and other particulars were
submitted to the Fuel Research Station of the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research for comparison with the rest of
the country, and the Officers of the Fuel Research Station were
consulted at any time when special problems occurred concerning the
reading of results or breakdown of equipment. Bulletins from the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research were received
regularly and studied in the Public Health Department so that
results could be compared with those in other areas.
A brief summary of the year's recordings follows in Table XV
and are represented in graph form as Graph "C". Graph "D" shows
the monthly rise and fall in the pollution figures for Brentford
and Chiswick, also Leeds, Central London and Lerwick. These latter
places have been chosen in order to illustrate the varying amounts
of pollution from a virtually smokeless atmosphere i.e. Lerwick, to
an industrial area i.e. Leeds.
The graph on page 52 shows that on the monthly averages calculated
from the daily readings there was little difference between pollution
of the two parts of the Borough. Brentford figures were much worse
in the Spring, and the subsequent improvement during the latter part
of the year may have resulted from the work mentioned in the following
report on smoke complaints.
The figures for both parts of the Borough compare very
favourably with London itself, and even more favourably with the
industrial Midlands, this in spite of the fact that there is a high
proportion of factories within the Borough boundaries.
Complaints of nuisance from smoke and grit from the Brentford
Gas Works were received during the year.
Observations of the smoke emission from the Gas Works and other
premises numbered 175* No Statutory nuisance was confirmed in any
case. Discussions with the various managements took place, and
improvements were achieved. The Inspector of Alkali etc. Works of
the Ministry of Housing and Local Government visited Brentford Gas
Works and gave his comments and recommendations for the reduction
of smoke and grit. Further, a technical officer from the Ministry
of Fuel and Power visited various factories and gave advice, as a
result of requests made by the Public Health Department.
Improvements were obtained as a result of the action taken.
In annual reports for 1951 and 1952 mention was made of smoke and
grit nuisance from a refuse destructor in a neighbouring district
grit arrestors were installed there and some improvement has resulted.
- 50 -