View report page

CLEAN AIR POLICY
The country has now been awakened fully to the damage to health and property caused by
the pollution of air arising from burning bituminous coal; backed by widespread popular demand
for action, it is now Government policy to tackle the smoke evil at its sources and to implement
the report of the Beaver Committee on Air Pollution.
The principle of attaining smoke prevention gradually by means of effective control in
quite small but expandable areas was first suggested about 25 years ago. The idea was to
create small areas in cities suffering most severely from air pollution, in which smoke emission
could be readily and effectively prevented.
A smoke control area is one in which the emission of all smoke is prohibited and "smoke"
includes all solid particles, however large or small, produced in the air as a result of
combustion.
Smokeless zones must be limited to domestic dwellings and commercial and administrative
buildings and the like which operate on some form of smokeless fuel.
In the initiation of a smoke control area a great number of parties are concerned in the
operation one way or another. Before a smoke control area can be established the following is
necessary:-
1. Where a local authority has resolved to establish a smoke control area it has to make
a detailed survey of the proposed area to ascertain the number of premises in it
houses, commercial and industrial; the number of appliances to be converted; and the
amount of smokeless fuel which will be required.
2. The local authority has to ascertain by consulting the appropriate bodies e.g. Area
Gas Boards, Electricity Authorities, as well as the fuel merchants that the smokeless
fuels will be available and delivered.
3. The local authority has to make an Order and obtain Ministerial confirmation.
4. The Order is advertised and local enquiries held into any objections made.
5. In the interim period between confirmation and the coming into operation of the Order
every domestic appliance that will be used roust be, or be made, capable of burning
smokeless fuel efficiently.
6. The financial assistance to be given has to be decided and paid; and at the end final
inspections have to be made in every single case.
Having regard to the provisions of the Clean Air Act, and the intentions of local
authorities, encouraged by the appropriate Ministry, to implement the clean air policy, it
can be concluded with some assurance that the domestic fuels used in the "black area" in
all cities and large towns in the future will be smokeless. The future set-up can be envisaged
as comprising smoke control areas covering all the "black areas" and other large centres
population. In these areas out of date appliances not capable of burning approved smokeless
fuels will be replaced by appliances designed for burning coke and similar fuels. Solid smoteless
fuels provided for smoke control areas roust be available for use in these modern appliances.
17