The Clean Air Acts
The Great London Smog of December 1952 was thought to have killed around 4,000 people due to a massive increase in levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide over a period of five days.
As a response to this, the Clean Air Act was passed in 1956 with the aim to reduce pollution from smoke. There was also a consequent reduction in sulphur dioxide levels due to the burning of smokeless fuels. The Clean Air Act of 1956 is believed by many to have been an extremely important legislative step in improving urban air quality.
The current Clean Air Act was implemented in 1993, and regulates the release of dark smoke from industrial and commercial premises, and chimneys. This Act gives local authorities power to designate smoke controlled areas.
The whole of Liverpool has been designated a smoke control area.
Useful Links
UK Smoke Control Areas - Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district authority to be a smoke control area