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Section 6 of the Clean Air Act, 1968, authorises the local authority
to approve or disapprove an application in respect of the height of a
chimney without reference to the Building Regulations. I was authorised
by the Council to act in accordance with the new provisions,
and of eight applications received during the year, six were approved.
Legal Proceedings.
Clean Air Acts, 1956/1968.
Public Health Act, 1936.
Smoke nuisance from bonfire on demolition site—continued
after warnings—defendant pleaded guilty—fined £20 with £7
costs.
Smoke nuisance from open incinerator—continued after warnings
— defendant found guilty — Nuisance Order made — no
costs.
Measurement oj Atmospheric Pollution.
Eight 8-port instruments are maintained by the Health Department,
and these are sited in approved positions within the Borough.
These instruments, which record smoke density and sulphur-dioxide
contained in the atmosphere are visited weekly. Recordings are standardised,
and results are sent monthly to the Department of Trade
and Industry, Warren Spring Laboratory. The graphs which appear
on adjoining pages of this report are compiled from a summary of these
results, and they indicate the great improvement in the condition of
the atmosphere resulting from the application of the Clean Air Acts.
It is interesting to note that there is very little rise in the line on
either graph for the winter of 1970 despite the suspension of Smoke
Control Orders referred to later in this Report. The fact that the
early months of winter were indeed very mild undoubtedly contributed
to the improved quality of the atmosphere, but in addition, the work
which is going on in this Borough, and in adjoining areas in connection
with smoke control, appear to be having a most beneficial effect.
Smoke Control Areas.
The Clean Air Acts 1965/1968, embody provisions designed to
reduce pollution from both industrial and domestic sources, including
the creation of smoke control areas. Air pollution has an intimate effect
upon people's lives and its control is, in my opinion, essential. The
Council has already approved a scheme to cover the Borough with
Smoke Control Orders by 1975, but the programme was hindered
towards the end of 1970 by the possibility of a shortage in the supply
of solid smokeless fuel. In September, the Health Committee recommended
that the making of Smoke Control Order No. 19 be deferred
until adequate supplies of such fuel were available, and in October
the Health Committee considered Circular No. 63/70 in conjunction
with recommendations of the London Boroughs Committee relating to
the suspension of the operation of certain Orders. The Council did
in fact suspend the operation of 11 Orders in the western part of the
Borough for a period 1st November, 1970, to 31st March, 1971. The
effect of the suspension is that any kind of fuel may be burned on
appliances in the 12,700 dwelling houses within the area of 2,800 acres
covered by the 11 Orders, without contravening those Orders. These
are indeed retrograde steps brought about by a shortage of solid
smokeless fuel, and will doubtless in the long run have the effect of
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