Branch Reports

E. V. Beeby, Rugby RD.C. J. Beer, City of Worcester. D. Hall, Newcastle-under-Lyme. K. C. Hughes, Stafford M.B. T. Kerr, Glanford Brigg RD.C. RE. J. Roden, Birmingham City.

Appointment of Scrutineers Two Scrutineers, Mr. H. Martin and Mr. L. B. Wilson (City of Cambridge) were appointed.

At this stage of the proceedings, the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Mrs. E. M. Parsonage, together with the Mayoress left: the meeting.

Any Other Business The Chairman spoke briefly on the subject of the Association's future in the light of Local Government reorganisation. He informed the meeting that the Council intended to call a special meeting during the autumn of 1972 by which time more information may be available to allow members to determine subsequent action.

There being no other business, D. Hall, Newcastle-underLyme, proposed a vote of thanks to the of the Association for their work during the year. ThIS was seconded by J. G. Clark, Southend. This was carried.

At the conclusion of the meeting, J. Hewison, Havant and Waterloo, proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor and Mayoress of Shrewsbury and to the officers of the Ass?Ciation for the excellent hospitality and arrangements WhICh had been made on the Association's behalf and the Honorary Secretary was instructed to write on behalf of the Association expressing formal thanks. The appreciation of the meeting was then shown in the usual manner.

The meeting closed at 12.30 p.m.

Scottish

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at B.P. Refinery (Grangemouth) Ltd., on Tuesday, 14th March, 1972. Present 54 members were present. Apologies Four Apolog,ies were received. Aliter welcoming the delegates, the Chairman, Mr. Gavin Arneil, introduced Dr. Roger Macrae, RP. Chemicals Ltd. and Mr. Hugh Pender, Safety Services Superintendent, B.P. Refinery (Grangemouth) Ltd., who jointly presented a paper on the content of the several orders and regulations pertaining to the conveyance by road CYf inflammable and corrosive substances. Dr. Macrae dealt with the identification and properties of the various substances, and Mr. Pender expanded on the safety precautions observed by his Company in the handling and conveyance of these products. Both speakers managed to condense a very wide subject into their allotted time, and the delegates derived much information from the excellent presentation of this difficult subject.

After a short break, a film was shown on some of the operations, with partiCUlar emphasis on the handling of large tankers at the ocean terminal at Finnart, Long .. Ther7after, Mr. Finlay gave a talk, suitably wIth slides, on the history of the Company. Both Items were extremely interesting.

The Branch was entertained to lunch and was honoured by the presence of Mr. Cook, Director and General Manager, Refinery (Grangemouth) Ltd., who presided. Before rIsmg from the table the Branch Chairman took the opportun1ty of thanking the Company for the excellent arrangements and hospitality provided, and Mr. Cook suitably replied. Minutes The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at the Rothes Arms Hotel, Glenrothes, Fife, on Tuesday, 16th March, 1971, copies of which had been previously circulated, was approved. Secretary and Treasurer's Report The report of the Secretary and Treasurer, copies of which had been previously circulated, was approved. Report by Branch Representative The -report of the Branch Representative to the Council of the Association, copies of which had been previously circulated, was approved.

Branch Rules The Secretary intimated receipt of a letter from the Secretary of the Association dated 28th Februa'ry, 1972, indicating that formal approval was given by the Council to the new Branch Rules at a meeting on 26th January, 1972. A signed copy of the Rules will be forwarded in due course. Annual Subscription 1973 In terms of Rule 30, consideration was given to the amount of the Branch subscription for the year 1973. The Secretary indicated that the matter had been considered by the Committee and their recommendation was that the subscription for Ordinary Members should be 50p.

Mr. MacLeod proposed that in view of the substantial balance in the accounts and the low rate of annual expenditure, that no subscription be levied, and was seconded by Mr. Kane.

An amendment was proposed by Mr. Brown and seconded by Mr. Anderson, that the Branch annual subscription should be fixed at 50 pence for Ordinary Members and Associate Members. Mr. MacKellar, seconded by Mr. McGregor, moved a counter-amendment that the Branch

subscription for Ordinary Members of the Association should remain at 50 pence and that no subscription should be levied from Ordinary Members of the Branch who were not members of the parent body.

A vote was taken on the amendment against the motion and the amendment was carried by 21 votes to 2. A vote was then taken on the counter-amendment against the amendment and the counter-amendment was declared the finding of the meeting by 16 votes to 9. Election of Officers and Committee Before proceeding with the nomination and election, the Secretary intimated that it had been ·impracticable to follow the procedure laid down in the Branch Rules because of the late notification of their approval by Council.

Mr. MacLeod (Dunbarton), was unanimously elected Chairman of the Branch for the ensuing year and was invited to take the Chair by the retiring Chairman, Mr. Arneil, who wished him well in his term of office. In reply, Mr. MacLeod thanked the members for electing him to office and hoped he would justify the confidence they had shown in him. He concluded by thanking Mr. Arneil on behalf of the members for the work he had done during his term of office.

The remaining Office Bearers and Members of Committee were elected as follows :-

Chairman K. MacLeod (Dunbartonshire)

Vice-Chairman R. S. L. Anderson (Ayr)

Honorary Secretary and Treasurer J. Shol't (Paisley)

Branch Executive Committee Seven candidates were proposed and seconded for five vacancies on the Committee. After a vote the following were elected:-

R. S. Brown (Argyll & Bute) B. ColLier (Clydebank) J. Kerr (Forth Ports Authority) J. J. MacKellar (Perth) G. Turnbull (Edinburgh)

The unsuccessful candidates were Messrs. Wilson (Kirkcudbright) and Baird (Lanarkshire).

Auditors R. McGill (Clydebank) S. Steadman (Dunbartonshire)

Branch Representative to Council J. Short (Paisley) Place of Next Meeting It was suggested that because of the extensive developments ·in the oil industry, Aberdeen would be an appropriate locus for the next meeting, and it was left to the Branch Executive Committee to pursue this suggestion or make alternative arrangements as necessary. Vehicle Parking Places There was some general discussion on recent Home Office Circulars regarding the approval of parking places for vehicles carrying inflammable liquids. Various viewpoints were expressed but no decision was taken or guidance offered as the matter was still under consideration by the Council of the Association.

Chairman's Address Mr. J. Short, Chairman of the Association, addressed the members of the Branch. He the members for appointing him their representative to the Council five years ago, which had led to his being elected to the office of Chairman. He felt that the honour had been one conferred upon the Branch rather than a personal one.

The Association had continued during the year to consolidate .its position as a national organisation, but further progress in this respect had been retarded because of the introduction of a Bill in Parliament ,to re-org-anise Local Government in England. On re-organisation, petroleum administration was likely to be allocated to top tier authorities, which would drastically reduce the number of authorities who could become members, and it was unlike ly that the Association would be able to continue in its present form. A special General Meeting of members would take place later this year when the final form of reorganisation proposals had become law, and the members would be asked to decide on future policy.

The Chairman also drew members' attention to the forthcoming Annual General Meeting at Shrewsbury which would be held during the first week of April. For the first time, the meeting was being held over two days in order to attract persons based some distance from the venue to come to the meeting. A civic reception was being provided by Shrewsbury Town Council and three papers were being presented in the course of the two days. He urged members, if at all possible, to make the effort to attend. He concluded by thanking the Branch for its support throughout his year of office.

Retirement of R. F. Donnelly It was unanimously agreed to send a letter to Mr. Donnelly (K'ilmarnock) who was due to retire shortly, wishing him well in his retirement and thanking him for the work be had done for the Branch as Chairman and member of Committee.

Vote of Thanks The meeting concluded with Mr. Anderson proposing a vote of thanks to all who had contributed to the success of the meeting, in particular B.P. Refinery (Grangemouth) Ltd., for the presence of their Managing Director, Mr. Cook, at luncheon, and for providing three excellent speakers for the morning session in Mr. Hugh Pender, Dr. Roger Macrae and Mr. Finlay. Tribute was also paid to the work done by the Chairman, Branch Executive Committee, Mr. Kerr, Forth Ports Authority, and the Secretary for their efforts. It was unanimously agreed that a letter be sent to Mr. Brodie, Secretary, RP. (Grangemouth) Ltd., expressing the appreciation of the Branch for the facilities and hospitality that had been provided.

West Midlands

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at F,ire Brigade Headquarters, Merridale Street, Wolverhampton, on Tuesday, 21st March, 1972.

The meeting was welcomed by Alderman G. A. Guy, Chairman of the Fire and Ambulance Committee of the County Borough of Wolverhampton. Alderman Guy informed the meeting how proud Wolverhampton was of the new Fire Brigade Headquarters and that he hoped the members had a fruitful and informative meeting. Present 32 members and visitors. Apologies 10 apologies were received. Welcome to Visitors The Chairman, Mr. R. P. Holdaway, welcomed the visitors on behaH of the Branch, in particular Mr. J. Short, Paisley, Chairman of the Association; Mr. J. Frid, Cambridge, Honorary Secretary of the Association; and Mr. J. T. Metcalfe, retired member. Minutes The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at Stokeon-Trent F,ire Brigade Headquarters on 7th October, 1971, having been previously circulated were approved and signed as a correct record. Report of Secretary and Presentation of Balance Sheets for 1971 The Secretary briefly reported on the activities of the Branch for the previous year and, as there were no questions on the balance sheet it was proposed and seconded that the balance sheet and report be accepted. Address At this stage the meeting was addressed by the Chairman of the Association, Mr. J. Short, who informed members that the Advanced Seminar which was originally to have been held at York University ,in October, had been brought forward to the last week in September. Due to lack of support and the short time available for organisation, unfortunately the Northern school had had to be cancelled.

Mr. Short then went on to the current topic of Local Government Re-organisation and stated that the Council of the Association intended to call a special meeting before the end of 1972 with regard to the future role of Petroleum Officers and the Assooiation in general.

Mr. Short then reminded members that this year's Annual General Meeting was to be held at Shrewsbury on 5th and 6th April, and already 160 acceptances had been received for the Civic Reception.

Mr. Holdaway then thanked Mr. Short for his address, which had been received with acclaim and there followed a short discussion on the upheaval of Local Government Re-organisation and in particular what to do with the Association's funds. Mr. Short replied that all these questions would 'be on the agenda for the special meeting. Branch Representative's Report Mr. Harvey, Branch Representative, then presented his report, which had previously been circulated. Mr. Harvey stated that there was little he could add to the report at that stage as the Association's Chairman, in his address, had raised all the points that he could bring to mind. Mr. Harvey was then thanked for his services to the Branch as Representative for 1971, and the report was proposed, seconded and accepted with thanks. Election of Officers The following were elected :Chairman Mr. T. O. Burn, City of Stoke-on-Trent. Vice-Chairman Mr. A. A. Ainley, Stone, Staffs. Hon. Secretary-Treasurer Mr. G. Balshaw, Shrewsbury. Committee Mr. T. Keith, Cannock. Mr. J. R. l.ewis, Walsall. Mr. S. Boulton, Newcastle-under-Lyme. Branch Representative Mr. G. Harvey, Dudley. Venue of Next Meeting The Secretary informed the Branch that arrangements for the Autumn meeting had not at that stage been completed, but it was hoped that facilities could be arranged at the Fire Services Training Establishment, Motton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire, perhaps in conjunction with the South Wales and Wessex Branch.

Any Other Business (a) Mr. J. Easton, Burton-on-Trent, asked the meeting for help on the question of deliveries of petroleum spirit during the hours of darkness. Some little discussion took place on this topic and i,t was eventually decided that there could be no objection to these deliveries providing there was satisfactory illumination at the delivery point. (b) Mr. Easton also raised the question of 'charges made by the Fire Brigade for a stand-by service in hazardous conditions. Several Chief Fire Officers replied on this point and it would appear that there is no statutory charge but any charge which is made is decided locally by the Chief Fire Officer for the area concerned. (c) Mr. R. E. J. Roden of Birmingham raised the question of testing low voltage lines between self-service petrol pumps and the console. Mr. Manship of Messrs. EUis &

Ward Ltd., Birmingham, replied that it Was vital that both high and low voHage installations should be tested.

Mr. Harvey of Dudley then said that he had also come across this problem and an electrician had informed him that if this work was to be carried out strictly according to the book, it would take a full eight hours to test one pump. Mr. Manship replied that in his opinion it should not take such a long time but whatever time it took it was necessary that the work be carried out completely. Mr. Harvey then said that there had been no accidents to date on equipment of this type and he felt that the cost/risk factor should be taken into consideration. Mr. Manship then stated that there

had been some relaxation all round, especially with flame-proof equipment at all petrol installations, including depots, with no reported accidents to date.

Mr. Roden, who had raised this question posed the further question that he accepted there had been no accidents to date on installations of this sort, but would the risk increase as the equipment grew older? This discussion had taken some little time and at this point

Mr. Hall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, proposed that, through Mr. Harvey, this problem be put to the Hon.

Electrical Adviser through the Association's Reference

Committee. (d) Mr. Harvey then raised the question and asked members what facilities their authorities had for the parking of tankers over-night. On this question, Mr. Hughes of

Stafford had asked the police to make a survey in

Stafford over a short period as to how many tankers were parking over-night and the survey had shown that the incidents of over-night parking was nil. Mr.

Archer, Walsall, stated that he had recommended to his authority that parking facilities for tankers be made available. Mr. BUrn, Stoke-on-Trent, informed the meeting that his authority had already provided parking facilities. Mr. Hughes said that in his opinion tankers carrying petroleum spirit would not need an over-night park as petroleum spirit was usually conveyed in short haul journeys and he thought that the parks would only be used by tankers transporting other dangerous substances from one part of the country to another.

The Association Chairman, Mr. J. Short, then said he had heard of a survey carried out in Greater London on this problem when only an average of ten tankers per night had used the facilities available. Lecture The meeting then adjourned for lunch and resumed in the afternoon when illustrated lectures entitled 'Self-Service and its Developments in the Immediate Future' and 'The Case for G.R.P. Underground Tanks' were given by Mr. J. F. Bridger, A.C.G.I., G.I.Mech.E., of B.P. Retail Division, Shell-Mex/B.P. Limited.

At the end of these two lectures Mr. Bridger ably answered the inevitable questions raised by the members and a vote of thanks to Mr. Bridger was proposed by Mr. J. Archer, Chief Fire Officer of Walsall, which was carried unanimously.

Wessex and South Wales

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held on Monday, 17th April, 1972 in the Council House, College Green, Bristol. Present L. Haggatt. Chairman, and 13 members.

Members were welcomed to Bristol by T. Lister, Chief Fire Officer, City and County of Bristol, who expressed his appreciation of the work of the Association and hoped that the arrangements made for the meeting by Mr. D. Boyne, would be found satisfactory. The Chairman suitably replied. Apologies Apologies were received from seven members and associates.

Minutes The Minutes of the meeting held at Cardiff on 18th October, 1971 which had been circulated with the Agenda were taken as read, and signed by the Chairman. Matters Arising Therefrom There were no matters under this heading. Chairman's Report The Chairman reported as follows :-

I would like to say how much I have appreciated serving as your Chairman for the past year. During the period there has been a slight increase in membership, and there have been the usual half-yearly meetings of the Branch and Executive Committee. The duties generally, however, have not been onerous.

One thing which I think it is important for me to refer to, is the proposed re-organisation of Local Government. It is a little difficult to forecast the future, either of this Branch or the Association generally, in the light of the proposed re-organisation of Local Government in 1974. As you will appreciate, re-organisation which it is intended should take place on 1st April, 1974, could have a considerable affect upon the future of both this Branch and the Association generally. The matter was discussed at the last Executive meeting at Thornbury, and I beIieve discussed at some length at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. Until more information is available it is not possible to say what the effect will be.

However, whatever the future holds, I am sure that every member will agree that the existence of the Wessex and South Wales Branch of the Association has been of cons'iderable value to petroleum officers in the area. As one of the founder members I sincerely hope it will be able to continue to function even in a revised form within the re-organised set-up.

I would like to thank all members, and in particular the Branch Secretary and members of the Executive Committee, for the assistance they have given me during my year of office.

Report of Branch Representative In spite of the impending re-organisation of Local Government, I have to report that the Council has passed through a per,iod of -intense activity. The work of organising the various courses and seminars occupied a great deal of time and members appeared well satisfied with their scope and content.

Discussions on constitutional matters are a continuing commitment, and, innovation and improvement must continue if our standards are to be maintained. Various Branch rules were also submitted to the Council for approval. Attention is drawn to the Association's Code of Practice and to the new Electrical Certificate, copies of which are available through the Branch Secretary.

Among the many technical topics, the question of parking areas for road tankers carrying inflammable Jiqued was

discussed, with particular reference to Home Office Circular 186. Entry to the Common Market could well exacerbate this problem and all members are advised to review the position in their districts, not forgetting any problems posed by the parking of tankers on housing estates.

Dr. Jeacocke of the Home Office gave helpful advice to representatives of the Council regarding glass reinforced plastic underground storage tanks and Branch members are reminded that an installation at Brockworth, near Gloucester is open for their inspection.

Honorary Secretary-Treasurer's Report My last report was made to the Branch in April, 1971, when I gave a resume of the formation of the Branch and its acti\"ities over the preceding two years.

(a) Membership

We started the year with a membership of 61 members and 4 associates, total 65. The membership at 31st

December, 1971 was 64 members and 4 associates, a total of 68. Several recent enquiries may lead to further applications for either membership or assooiate membership. (b) Rules and Regulations

In my last report I drew attention to the fact that due to various changes at national level, this Branch had no formal rules and constitution. This Branch adopted a new model rules and constitution at its Annual

General Meeting in April, 1971. The necessary formal cop.ies were sent on to the National Secretary shortly after, and during the course of the year I have made enquiries as to the position. On 28th February, however, I received a letter from John Frid (National

Secretary) advising me that formal approval had been given to the new Branch rules and that a signed copy would be forwarded to me as soon as possible, possibly in time for our Annual General Meeting. At the date of making this report I am still awaiting its receipt. Last year we had the postal workers strike to contend with and this year -it has been the miners' strike leading to power cuts, which led to certain difficulties both at headquarters and at local levels. (c) Branch Activities

During the year two Branch meetings were held; the Annual General Meeting at Gloucester and a Branch meeting at Cardiff.

As most members will be aware and many directly involved with the running up period to Local Government re-organisation, it is perhaps as well to put on record the fact that it is proposed to re-organise the whole structure of Local Government with dates for 1973 for elections and the operating of the new authorities from 1st April, 1974. Details of the Local Government Bill are being discussed at Committee stage in the House of Commons, and while we have yet to see the final pattern emerge I think there is no doubt that future legislation will make the County Councils the licensing authority for petroleum. Although during the past year there was only one meeting of your Executive Committee, I can foresee that during the period ahead it may be necessary for more frequent meetings to take place. During the year, correspondence has taken place in respect of enquiries concerning membership and associate membership, queries regarding publications in 'The

Bulletin', and sundry other enquiries of a general nature affecting the Association's work. (d) Financial Statement

Under National Rules the financial year has now been made to end at 31st December. During the year there was no Jncome to the Branch, and I am taking up with the National Treasurer the fact that ·in my view we are entitled to a further per capita payment based on

Branch membership. The Secretary further reported that this morning he had received a cheque for £33.25 being payment of two years capitation fees. Arising out 'of this report H. A. Scawen proposed, and It was resolved that the Secretary write to the

National Secretary and endeavour to expedite the receipt of the new Branch rules and consHtution. Election Gf Officers The Secretary drew attention to the difficulties which had f.aced him with a delay in receiving approval to the rules and constitutions. Nomination papers had, however, been .issued to all members and nominations had been received for all offices, with the exception of one vacancy on the Executive Committee. The scrubineers were appointed and reported upon the nominations which had been received.

It was resolved that the following appointments be made: Chairman T. L. Cox, Cricklade and Wotton Bassett RD.C. Vice-Chairman M. Clarke, Cheltenham Borough. Honorary Secretary-Treasurer R. Huntington, Thornbury R.D.C. Branch Representative S. W. D. Harris, Gloucester R.D. Executive Committee D. Add-ison, Port of Bristol. T .K. BlackweH, Sherbourne U.D.C. R Crowther, Gloucester City. W. J. Jones, Newport C.B. V. Rowlands, LlaneHi RD. L. J. Storey, Bath C.B. Auditors F. H. Lewis, Cheltenham RD. Captain W. A. Poeton, Port of Bristol. Scrutineers H. A. Scawen, Torbay C.B. D. Boyne, City and County of Britol. Past Chairman L. Haggett, Merthyr Tydfil C.B.

Correspondence The Secretary referred to various correspondence and outlined the action he had taken. In respect of a letter from M.

Clark, Chei'tenham M.B., it was agreed to discuss the implications and problems he had raised later in the meeting. Future Meetings It was suggested the Secretary endeavour to arrange the next meeting in conjunction with a visit. Poss,ible suggestions ,were I.C.I. Severnside, or Port of Bristol in co-operation with either authority, or a petroleum company. Consideration being given to the Branch providing a coach as transport from a central meeting place if this should be found necessary. It was left to the Secretary in conjunction with the Chairman to make the necessary arrangements.

Matters of General Interest M. Clark, Cheltenham M.B., opened the discussion by drawing attention to the numerous premises which stored small quantities of petroleum and petroleum mixtures, and suggested the need for a campaign, possibly on a National bas,is.

The need for this was in his opinion highlighted by the following case; a resident in the middle of a block of terraced houses converted as flats, bought and stored petrol in a cupboard on the landing of a communal staircase. While absent on holiday the container leaked and the petrol seeped into the adjacent dwelling, necessitating the calling out of police and the petroleum officer. Subsequently the person was successfully prosecuted on two counts, (1) that he kept petrol ,in a vessel in such a condition as not to prevent leakage, etc., and (2) the vessel did not bear the words 'Petroleum Spirit, etc' Other charges concerning place of storage, etc. had to be dropped on legal adv,ice, and it was these latter aspects that 'caused concern for the matter to be raised at this meeting.

R. Crowther, Gloucester City, suggested the problem could be tackled on an educational basis. His authority had leaflets which are distributed at local home safety campaigne organised by the Fire Brigade.

T. L. Cox, Cricklade and Wotton Bassett, concurred in the problems and enlarged on the dangers of self-service paraffin into petrol tins at garages. An attempt to control this by planning conditions had failed.

D. Boyne, Bristol, referred to the use of unauthorised containers at self-service stations which raised the question of whether it was being stored, or transported.

W. J. Jones, Newport, mentioned Home Office are trying to rationalise the regulations. Five gallon jerry cans are for transporting, two gallon cans are for storage. Other speakers and L. A. ComeI', Mangotsfield U.D., stressed the need for sampling before instituting legal proceedings. It was essential to have documentary proof that the contents are petroleum spir.it.

After discussions and suggestions from M. Clark, R. Crowther, F. H. Lewis, T. L. Cox, H. A. Scawen, D. Boyne and T. K. Blackwell it was agreed that there appears to be a need for a campaign, poss'ibly on a National level, aimed both at the trade and general public.

The Secretary was instructed to write to the National Secretary on these matters with suggestions.

Several members raised questions concerning disused petrol storage tanks. D. Boyne, Bristol, referred to his authority's Local Act to enforce treatment and recover the cost. He mentioned that he had been approached recently regarding the possible use of telescopic 'fill pipes' and that an experimental one was being fitted far trial purposes. W. J. Jones, T. L. Cox, H. A. Scawen, D. Boyne and R. Crowther outHned some of the various problems with which they had been faced. In respect of submersible pumps it was felt that they should be fitted with a pressure cut-out. Remote pumps with distribution pipes to various points raised problems in addition to the need for pressure testing there was also the need for a pressure cut-out. Preference was expressed for hydrostatic gauges rather than a dipstick two way valve, etc. It was generally thought that our Assooiation should endeavour to get the Home Office to set up a technical advisory section.

A vote of thanks was passed to D. Boyne of Bristol for the excellent arrangements he had made for the meeting and a vote of thanks was unanimously approved to the Chairman for his successful year of office.

East Midland

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe, on Thursday, Hth May, 1972 Present The Chairman of the Association, Mr. R. P. Holdaway, the Secretary of the Association, Mr. J. W. Frid, the Chairman of the Branch, Mr. C. W. Howkins, and 32 members. Apologies 18 apologies were received. Minutes The Minutes of the Ordinary General Meeting held at the Barrow-upon-Soar Rural District Council Offices, Rothley, Leicester, on Tuesday, 2nd November, 1971 were confirmed. Membership There were four applications for ordinary membership and one for associate membership which were submitted and approved. Annual Report of Secretary-Treasurer The Secretary reported that the Branch now comprised 68 Local Authority Members, 2 Officer Members, 14 Associate Members and 1 Life Member, providing a Branch membership of 130 members.

Reports we're given of meetings held during the year and the Petroleum Technology Course organised by the Northern Education Committee which was successfully held at York University from 13th to 15th April, 1971. As regards the holding of a similar course for 1972 it was reported that the Northern Education Committee had not been able to arrange suitable dates and the proposed course had heen abandoned.

The Secretary referred to ,the attendance of the Immediate Past Chairman of the Association, Mr. J. Short, at the Ordinary General Meeting and the complimentary report he had made to the Council of the Association on the meeting.

The financial position of the Branch was reported to be extremely satisfactory.

At the conclusion of the report Mr. Matthews referr.ed members to the informative talks on Petroleum istration given by Mr. Howkins at both Branch meetm.gs during the year and on behalf of the members thanked hun for his unique contribution to Branch activities. Annual Report of Branch Representative The Branch Representative gave his report on the proceedings of the Council. He informed members that the Association's second Advanced Seminar would now be held at Alcuin College, York University, from Monday, 25th September to Thursday 28th 1972 interested members should make proVISIOnal applIcatIOn. t the National Secretary, Mr. J. W. Frid, who told the meetmg that there were still a few vacant places.

Members ,were informed that the new East Midland Branch Rules were approved by the Council at their last meeting and would be circulated to members in due course.

The Branch Representative reminded members of the important special Annual General Meeting of the Association scheduled for the Autumn to consider the future role and policy of the Association in relation to Local ment Re-organisation. The Chairman of the AssocIatIOn referred to this special Annual General Meeting and informed members that the Council were studying the situation closely and would present their views and recommendations to members at this meeting. He reminded members that the Association was now a well-recognised authority on Petroleum Administration with the necessary expertise which could not be ignored in the formation of any new administrative structure.

Election of Officers The following were elected :_ Chairman M. T. Lucas, Scunthorpe. Vice-Chairman H. Booth, Barrow-upon-Soar R.D.C. Honorary Secretary-Treasurer J. Birks, Chesterfield. Committee J. Bantoft, Derby. F. D. Bates, Premier Pump & Tank Co. G. C. Cartwright, Nottingham. R. E. Clarke, Leicester City Fire Servke. D. T. Jones, Beeston & Stapleford U.D.C.

Branch Representative J. Birks, Chesterfield. Auditor J. Bantoft, Derby.

Installation of Chairman

Mr. M. T. Lucas, Scunthorpe, was installed as the new Branch Chairman by the retiring Chairman, Mr. C. W. ffowkins, Grantham. Mr. Lucas in thanking the Branch for the honour of being its Chairman said how much he had benefited by being a member. He praised the development of the Branch and the wonderful of the different f . pro eSSlOns forml'ng the Branch . In referrmg to the problems . of Local Government Re-organisation he was convmced that any ber mem chosen to administer ,the Petroleum Acts and . h Regulations would certainly have a good groundmg for suc administration.

Any Other Business Mr. E. Stainforth, Mansfield, informed members of his forthcoming retirement. Several members paid. tribute to the interest and enthusiastic support he had gIven the Branch 'nce its formation and it was unanimously agreed that on retirement he should become a Life Member of the Branch. Mr. Stainforth thanked members for the honour.

Mr. Bilbie, Premier Pump & Tank Co., brought to the notice of members of a tank manufacturer supplying an underground petrol tank provided with a calibrated 2,000 gallon dipstick when in fact the tank only held 1,990 gallons. This fault only be detected an overspill and Mr. Bilbie saId that when the obVIOUS danger was brought to the notice of the manufacturers their answer was that they made their tanks to a nominal size.

Mr. Matthews said that the principles of construction did say that dipsticks had to be 'accurately' calibrated and it was imperative that they should be. Under such circumstances he would advise the licensee to obtain a certificate of the true tank capacity from the manuf.acturers. Mr. Lucas thought that it was the manufacturers' problem and that they should test and caJ.ibrate their tanks correctly.

Addresses At :the afternoon session ,there were two talks.

The first talk was given by Mr. T. T. Lucas, entitled 'Road Tanker Construction and Recent Developments'. A petrol road tanker parked at the Civic Centre Was subjeoted to an electrical resistance test on its lighting circuits by Mr. Lucas. The Home Office standard laid down was stated to be 100,000 ohms by Mr. Lucas who obtained a reading of 1,000 ohms on his megometer. After the demonstration Mr. Lucas told members that he was concerned about the potential dangerous road tankers which were in everyday use and had conferred with the motor manufacturers the Society of Motor Manufacturers, and the Home He said that the motor manufacturers were carrying out research work on :the problem and a further meeting was planned with the Home Office when more information was available. Mr. Frid asked Mr. Lucas if new road tankers passed the Home Office electrical resistance test. Mr. Lucas replied that he did not think so since it seemed to him that road tanker manufacturers simply attached their petrol tanks on to a standard chassis from the motor manufacturers which were equipped with the normal standard of electrical wiring. Many members were obviously concerned with the potential number of road tankers which might be in use and they were anxiou,> to learn of any further developments.

Mr. Matthews in expressing a vote of thanks to Mr. Lucas said that Mr. Lucas had introduced a brand new subject to the Association which required immediate a'ttention. In extreme circumstances there was the possibility, Mr. Matthews thought, of a road tanker conflagration, due to

sub-s'tandard electrical wmng involving loss of life which could place certain petroleum officers in an embarrassing situation. He thought that any further information and guidance should be made known to members as soon as possible through 'The Bulletin' or by other means.

The second talk was given by Mr. J. Bantoft, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, County Borough of Derby, entitled 'The Construction of a Bulk Distribution Depot for Petrol in Association with Fuel Oils'. Mr. Bantof.t conveyed to members the many problems associated with the licensing of a bulk distr,ibution depot by relating his own personal experiences. He did this in a novel way by displaying a detailed plan of a bulk distribution depot he had dealt with in Derby, and describing to members in detail all the problems he had encountered from firs:t being approached by the oil company until his final acceptance of the depot for licenSing. In dealing with these problems members learned a great deal about tank construction and location, bund walls, fire-fighting precautions and equipment. Although Mr. Bantoft had gone into great detail he concluded that the Model Code for Bulk Installation Depots was our only guide to licensing and as petroleum officers we were very much in the hands of the experts regarding the details of technical construction.

At the conclusion of the talk Mr. Bantoft dealt with numerous questions, mainly of a technical nature, and in doing so, members gained further useful information regarding the problems likely to be encountered when deal,ing with bulk installations.

A vote of thanks was given by Mr. F. B. Saunders, Spalding Rural District Council, who said that Mr. Bantoft had given a talk which contained a lot of detail and which must have required a great deal of study.

At the conclusion of the meeting tea was taken at the kind invitation of Scunthorpe Corporat,ion.

Northern

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall, Market Place, Richmond, Yorkshire, on Wednesday, 24th May, 1972. Present

The Chairman, Mr. H. Johnson, and 18 members.

In his opening remarks the Chairman welcomed the visit of Mr. R. P. Holdaway, Chairman of the Association, and Mr. J. W. Frid, Hon. Secretary of the Association, then introduced Messrs. Moore (Sunderland C.B.), Foale (North Riding C.C.) and Hard (LC.!. Ltd.), each of whom was attending a meeting of the Northern Branch for the first time. Mr. Johnson commented upon the attractions of Richmond and the surrounding countryside and reminded members that they were close to the spot where the 'lass' of 'Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill' fame, had once lived. Apologies Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. Brunner (Hartlepool C.B.) and Rhind (Applied Research and Engineering Ltd.) Minutes The Minutes of the meeting held at the Wilton Works of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited on Wednesday, 19th January, 1972 having previously been circulated, were approved. Matters Arising There were no matters arising from the Minutes. Honorary Secretary-Treasurer's Report The Honorary Secretary reported that there had been no increase in Branch membership during the twelve months under review. He then referred to a query which a member had raised recently concerning a proposal to enlarge the petrol storage facilities of a garage situated in a busy urban area in the circumstances where the garage forecoul't had been separated from the storage tanks by road improvements. The Honorary Secretary also referred to a query which he had raised with Mr. R. E. Dust, Honorary Secretary of the South East Midland Branch of the Assoc-iation, consequent upon publication of the Branch minutes in 'The Bulletin' (VoUl No. 2) and relating to the suggested unsuitability of M.S.A. Mark 2 Explosimeters for use in detecting vapours of leaded petrol. The information provided by Mr. Dust in response to his enquiry enabled the Honorary Secretary to report to members that Mark 2 instruments could safely be used for this purpose provided they are fitted with the recommended inhibitor filters which are available commercially.

Members were informed that Council, at its meeting at Birmingham, 26th January, 1972 had approved the Branch Rules as submitted and that copies would be circulated in due course.

As Branch Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary reported .to members upon Branch finances and reminded them that, as the Branch made no charges for membership, funds were limited.

Branch Representative's Report The Branch Representative reported upon his attendance at meetings of Council, the minutes of which have been published in various issues of 'The Bulletin'. He informed members of the increases in Local Authority and Associate Membership of the Association and in the number of subscribers to 'The Bulletin' as compared with corresponding figures for the previous twelve months. Members were reminded that the Advanced Professional Course was to be held at Alcuin College, University of York, 25th to 28th September, 1972 and that a small number of places were still available. The Branch Representative also made reference to the future of the Association consequent upon Local Government re-organisation.

Election of Officers The following were elected :-

Chairman H. Johnson, O.B.E., Teesside C.B.

Vice-Chairman B. W. C. Thacker, Teesside C.B. Honorary Secretary-Treasurer P. H. Cartwright, Hartlepool C.B.

Executive Committee J. B. Newton, Skelton & Brotton U.D.C. W. Scanlan, Easington R.D.C. Branch Representative P. H. Cartwright, Hartlepool C.B.

Chainnan's Address Mr. R. P. Holdaway, M.I.W.M.A., Chairman of the Association, addressed members and gave a brief account of the origins of the Association. He said that the strength of the Association lay in its Branches and in the diversified professional disciplines of their members. Mr. Holdaway referred to certain proposals relating to the future of th: Association which were presently the concern of CounCIl and said that a number of problems were yet to be resolved. Mr. Holdaway expressed the hope that, after Local Government re-organisation, the new Petroleum Authorities would take advantage of (and thus benefit from) the knowledge and skills available to them through the Association. Finally, Mr. Holdaway indicated that once the Local Government Bill had received the Royal Assent, a special meeting would be called to put Council's proposals for the future of the Association to members.

Simultaneous Deliveries of Petrol Mr. Clapham (Richmond B.) referred to a request which h.e had received recently from a petrol company to permIt simultaneous deliveries of petrol into underground storage tanks, and sought the views of members. Mr. Ansbro (Darlington C.B.) said his Council's Conditions of Licence did not permit multiple deliveries because of the increased volume of highly inflammable vapours discharged to atmosphere during filling. Mr. Frid (Cambridge M.B.) took an opposing view and SUpported mUltiple deliveries because of the shortened time during which vapours were being discharged. Mr. Moore (Sunderland C.B.) and Mr. Cronin (Teesside C.B.) both indicated that they accepted simultaneous deliveries but only where the siting of tanks was remote from any public footpath or highway. The Honorary Secretary quoted an opinion upon this subject which had been ex'pressed by the Reference and Legal Committee of the Association in 1967 and said that, provided deliveries were properly supervised, this did not appear to be a matter which could 'be objected to on legal grounds but if necessary it could be controlled by attaching a special condition to any Petroleum Spirit Licence. Mr. Johnson, Chairman, recounted an incident which had occurred locally some years ago in which a garage toilet had been demolished by explosion occasioned by the ignition of petroleum vapours discharged to atmosphere during tank filling.

Disposal of Underground Tanks

Mr. Spencer (Hartlepool C.<B.) sought the views of members upon the best ways of dealing with disused petrol storage tanks and expressed his concern about the difficulties of disposing of exhumed tanks. Mr. Frid said he was fortunate to have a deep water pit in his area and therefore disposal was no problem to him. The possibility of using explosives under controlled conditions was considered and reference was to !nformation concerning successful experiments here mtro-merted medium expansion foam was used ;;'eparatnry to cutting a tank with oxy-acetylene equipment M H Idaway said he relied upon an organisation which r .. specla ed IS in steam cleaning and removal and he insisted .. h upon receiving a gas-free certificate ?ef?re pern:uttmg e exhumation of a tank. Mr. Ansbro saId It was hIS practIce to inert with CO, or nitrogen and to mark the as having contained petroleum spirit. He would then notIfy the Petroleum Officer of the Authority to which the tank was to be transported.

Pre-Payment Self-Service Filling Stations Mr. Cartwright (Hartlepool c.B.) queried members attitudes to problems relating to the enforcement of licensing conditions at pre-payment self-service sites and raised the question of vandalism. He said that his Council's legal department had expressed the opinion that licensees. of prepayment filling stations could not be held :esponslble for incidents which occurred when such statIOns were unmanned. Mr. Holdaway said that only note acceptor units were permitted in Shrewsbury and he emphasised the importance of careful choice of sites. He suggested that by being selective in this way the problem of vandalism, which was a major cause of concern, could be minimised and it was his considered opinion, based upon practical experience extending over a number of years, that if this aspect was removed there were few difficulties with this kind of petrol retailing. Mr. Frid said that his Council did not permit pre-payment self-service developments prinCipally because it was not possible to control the type of container being filled. By way of illustrating his point Mr. Frid instanced circumstances which had been brought to his notice where a university professor was said to have presented a bucket at a filling station in which to carry away a quantity of petrol. The Branch Chairman closed this item on the agenda by referring to other circumstances of a similar nature where it was said that a motorist asked a filling station attendant to fill with petrol a plastic bag which he was carrying in the boot of his car; the reason being that the bag would take up less space because it would follow the contours of the boot as it was filled!

Date and Place of Next Meeting Mr. Moore kindly offered to provide accommodation at Sunderland for the next meeting to be held on 13th September next.

Any Other Business There being no other business, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned for lunch.

Lecture Members re-assembled in the Town Hall at 2.00 p.m. and the session was devoted to a lecture entitled 'Developments in Modern Forecourt Retailing', given by Mr. A. A. Featherstone, B. P. Marketing Limited. In introducing his subject Mr. Featherstone traced the history of petrol dispensing equipment through sixty years to the present day and, with the aid of slides, his talk and spoke upon the various kinds of self-servIce development which had taken place in ,the last decade. He then went on to consider new equipment, some of which was still under development, which used electronics in place of mechanics for blend and price selections, readouts, etc.

Members were given an insight into problems associated with equipment design and of the ways in which these problems were resolved. Mr. Featherstone concluded his lecture by comparing conventional steel petrol storage tanks with glass reinforced plastics tanks and spoke of B.P.'s experiments in this field.

A question and answer session followed when Mr. Featherstone replied to points raised by members. Votes of Thanks Mr. Newton (Skelton and Brotton D.D.C.) and Mr. Scanlan (Easington R.D.C.) proposed the votes of thanks to Mr. Fea,therstone and Richmond Borough Council respectively. Both were acclaimed with enthusiasm and warmth.

At approximately 4.00 p.m. the Chairman declared the meeting closed and wished members a safe journey home.

Yorkshire

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall, Scarborough, on Wednesday, 24th May, 1972. Present The Branch Chairman, Mr. P. Murray and 10 members. Apologies Apologies for absence ,were received from 13 members. Treasurer's Report The Branch Treasurer presented the Accounts which were circulated to the members present. A proposal by Mr. Hendry, seconded 'by Mr. G. Greenough that the Report be adopted, was carried unanimously. Election of Officials

Chairman It was moved by Mr. Hendry and seconded by Mr. Greenough that Mr. P. Murray be elected as Chairman. Mr. Murray was elected unanimously.

Vice-Chairman Mr. Hendry was proposed by Mr. P. Murray and seconded by Mr. Mr. R. Sample. Mr. Hendry was elected unanimously.

Secretary and Branch Representative Mr. J. Bennett was proposed by Mr. F. Benson and seconded by Mr. Hendry. Mr. Bennett was elected unanimously.

Branch Representative Mr. Sample was proposed by Mr. Hendry, seconded by Mr. Murray and elected unanimously.

Branch Executive Committee The following members were proposed and seconded as shown, and elected unanimously :Mr. Benson_ proposed by Mr. Murray, seconded by Mr. Sample Mr. Badgerproposed by Mr. Murray, seconded by Mr. Benson Mr. Wallaceproposed 'by Mr. Hendry, seconded by Mr. Murray

Honorary Auditor Mr. Hendry was re-elected as Honorary Auditor. Any Other Busines The Chairman raised the subject of Local Government Re-organisation in 1974 and its possible effects on the administration of the Petroleum Acts. He suggested it might be an appropriate time to arrange an informal meeting of all officials in the Branch area engaged on petroleum work, including non-members of the Association, to discuss the matter. It was agreed that the Chairman should make further enquiries as to the possibility of calling such a meeting.

The Chairman then closed the Annual General Meeting.

A meeting of the Branch was held at Scarborough Town Hall on Wednesday, 24th May, 1972.

Present The Chairman and 11 members.

Apologies Apologies for absence were received from 13 members. Minutes of the Last Branch Meeting The Minutes of the last Branch meeting had been circulated and were .taken as read. It was moved and seconded that the Minutes be signed as a true record. Matters Arising Further discussion took place on a number of points in the Minutes regarding problems raised at the previous open forum.

Testing of Underground Storage Tanks Mr. C. Peacock told the meeting that he had carried out field tests on his equipment designed to expedite tank testing, but the tests had revealed the need for further modifications. He told the meeting he was also making enquiries into the method of tank testing used in Western Germany, in which pressure was applied on top of the spirit in the tank. The gauge used for these tests was known as a Johns Pressure Meter. Mr. Peacock agreed to keep the Branch informed of the development of his equipment.

A general discussion followed on tank testing which included many controversial points, such as an arbitrary agreed life for underground tanks, detection of leaks by the use of a supersonic leak detector.

The discussion was spirited and although revealing minor differences of practice amongst authorities, illustrated that fundamentally the same principles were being applied.

During the meeting the Chairman was called away to appear on the Yorkshire Television programme and the Chair was taken by the Vice-Chairman, Mr. Hendry.

After a further discussion on un-attended self-service filling stations, which again revealed a divergence of opinion and opposition by most members, the meeting was closed.

A Civic Tea was kindly provided by the Mayor after the meeting.