Clean Air Acts - Pollution has been a major problem in the Potteries because of the large number of kilns. It was not uncommon for the sun to be virtually blacked out by the smoke. Many people remember walking the streets and not being able to see their companions next to them. Not surprisingly the area had a very high death rate associated with diseases of the lungs. The Clean Air Acts of the post war period have done much to improve the environment.

Between the years 1956 and 1960 a major drive was made to end, once and for all, the bad old legacy of smoke pollution. The Clean Air Act and the development of the continuous pottery kiln fired by gas or electricity between them combined to lay the smoke bogey and by 1958 more smoke was coming from domestic fires in the city than from pottery factories. 

By 1958 there were 438 bottle kilns still in use with 654 kilns now fired by gas or electric.