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It is an offence under Section 3(1) to install certain new furnaces which are not
capable so far as practicable of operating continuously without emitting smoke when burning
fuel of a type for which they were designed. The section applies to all new furnaces
installed after the first appointed day (31st December, 1956) in buildings or in boilers
and Industrial plant, subject to certain provisions, but, in short, the Section covers
industrial furnaces and other large furnaces suoh as may be found in hotels and blocks of
flats, but not small domestic appliances in houses, offices and shops.
During the year 4 applications for prior approval were received and examined and
subsequently approved by the Health Committee.
Local Authorities are required under Section 10 of the Clean Air Act to examine
plans for all new chimneys and satisfy themselves that these are of sufficient height to
prevent the discharged gases and dust from reaching ground level in sufficient concentrations
so that they are prejudical to health or constitute a nuisance.
It is an advantage to be able to predict what ground level concentrations are likely
to arise from a given discharge and much study has been given by experts to this subject.
The problem is extremely complicated because of the large number of variables involved,
including the local meteorological conditions and the topography of the surrounding district.
Methods are available for predicting the pattern of dispersion of the plume, the formula is,
however, extremely complex.
10 applications under Section 10 were received during 1957 and as in the case of
applications under Section 3 were examined and subsequently approved by the Health Committee.
Section 24 of the Act provides for building byelaws to "require the provision in the
new buildings of such arrangements for heating and cooking as are calculated to prevent so
far as practicable the emission of smoke". A Model Byelaw was issued by the Ministry of Housing &
Government on 28th December, 1956 as follows:-
1. There shall be provided in a new building (except in so far as heating is provided by
furnaces to which Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956 applies) only such applianoes for
heating or cooking as are suitably designed for burning any of the following fuels, namely:-
(a) gas;
(b) electricity;
(c) gas coke, or anthracite,
or are applianoes of a description exempted conditionally or unconditionally from the provisions
of Section 11 of the Clean Air Act, 1956 (which relates to smoke control areas) by any order for
the time being in force under sub-section (4) of that section.
2. This byelaw shall not apply in relation to a building begun before the date on which
the byelaw comes into operation or begun after that date in pursuance of plans deposited in
accordance with byelaws before that date.
3. Nothing in the foregoing provisions of these byelaws shall be taken to apply to this
byelaw when an alteration or extension is made to a building.
The byelaw is construed as one with the building byelaws made by the Council on
14th December, 1953.
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