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(i) Standardisation of Grants. To discuss whether "maximum approved
grants" for any given alteration or adaptation should be agreed upon by
the Minister in an endeavour to standardise the grants on a regional
basis. It was decided to refer the schedule of agreed standardised
grants to the Minister of Housing and Local Government for his observations.
(ii) Application for approval of new furnaces. To consider the
advisability of co-operating local authorities making known their "prior
approval" requirements when considering application under Section 3(2) of
the Clean Air Act, 1956, with particular emphasis where an industrial area
is divided by one or more local authorities' boundaries. Officers of
this Department prepared a summary of replies received to a questionnaire
completed by the representative authorities on the information required
from applicants for, and the procedure taken by, the authorities in
connection with granting "prior approval" of the installation of new
furn aces.
(e) The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Council
has, for a number of years, been a member of the Standing Conference of Cooperating
Bodies, and was represented by the Medical Officer of Health and a
Member of the Council. Two meetings were held during the year both of which
were attended by the Medical Officer of Health. The D. S I R. is conducting
a national survey of atmospheric pollution in selected cities and towns,
including Hackney; recording apparatus has now been installed at some 40
sites inside and outside the smoke control areas in the Borough, and it is
expected that very useful information will result from the survey.
(f) Specific publicity within smoke control areas is undertaken as follows:-
1. Following a pilot survey, a report is submitted to the Council for
approval in principle of the proposed area. A letter is then sent
to the occupiers of dwellings in the area informing them of the
Council* s proposal to make an Order, together with a booklet which
gives in simple language a complete account of what smoke control
means. This letter also informs the occupiers that an officer of the
department will be calling to inspect their heating appliances.
2. On receipt of confirmation of the Order -
(i) a further letter is sent to occupiers of all private dwellings
informing them of the fact that the Order has been confirmed and
of the date of its operation. (Enclosed with this letter is
a copy of the informal notice referred to in (ii) below).
(ii) An informal notice is sent to the owners of all dwellings in the
area in which adaptations are necessary, informing them of the
fact that the Order has been confirmed, and the date of its
operation This notice sets out details of the conversion of
heating appliances considered to be necessary and also the
method of claiming a grant A form of application for approval
of estimate accompanies this notice.
(iii) A letter to the occupiers of all industrial and business
premises informing them of the operative date of the Order, as
well as the classes of furnaces exempted therefrom, and the
conditions on which such exemptions are granted.
3. STATUTORY NOTICES (Section 12) are sent to owners, as necessary,
if it appears that the required works are not likely to have been
carried out by the operative date.
(g) Recording of Atmospheric Pollution. Apparatus for recording atmospheric
pollution was maintained at the following stations:-