South Yorkshire Times April 2, 1966

“Smokeless” in 15 Years?

Conisbrough’s plans for smoke control could rid the district of the bulk of its air pollution within a 15 year period. The local Urban Council approved in principle a 15 year programme to make Conisbrough smokeless in 17 separate stages, although they have deferred consideration of the starting date.

A detailed plan of the proposed scheme, prepared by Chief Public Health inspector Mr E.T.Swift and his departmental staff, as be submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.

The plan devised the district into 17 separate areas. The order in which smokeless zones will go applied is not been decided, but it is likely that a start will be made the central area, which takes in over 300 households, including the shopping centre plus the new development at Grasmere Road and the council own Wellgate flats scheme.

This area should present few problems, as gas heating is proportionally Council flats and it is also anticipated that much of the new development will cater for smokeless requirements.

Mr Swift told the “South Yorks Times” on Wednesday, “The completion of the scheme will be a big task. Most of the pollution was come from domestic sources as something like 5000 households are involved, each of which is to be visited and inspected by my staff. I believe the plan can be completed in 15 years once it is started.”

The chairman of the Councils Public Health Committee, Councillor A Haywood, has been empowered to authorise any necessary preliminary investigations into methods of working, costs and provisional advice in order to provide the committee with the fullest possible information on the problem.