Households with wood and log burners in 38 parts of England face fines of up to £300 if their chimneys release smoke in designated smoke control areas. Many parts of the UK are smoke control areas where releasing smoke from a chimney is prohibited.
Strict Rules on Wood Burners
Under Labour Party government rules, residents can only burn authorised fuel unless they use an appliance approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), known as an ‘exempt appliance’ or ‘Defra approved appliance’. In England, a penalty of up to £300 may be imposed if your chimney emits smoke in a smoke control area. Additionally, buying unauthorised fuel for a non-approved appliance can result in a fine of up to £1,000.
How to Check if You Are Affected
Contact your local council to determine if you live in a smoke control area. The environmental services department can provide assistance. The list below includes 38 of the affected towns and cities, but it is not exhaustive.
Authorised Fuels and Exemptions
The following smokeless fuels are permitted unless you are using an exempt appliance: anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas, and low volatile steam coal. Oil or other liquid fuels can be used in specially designed or adapted fireplaces. Kindling may sometimes be used, but check with your council first as rules vary by area. Only use the fuel types specified by the appliance manufacturer.
Outdoor barbecues, chimineas, fireplaces, or pizza ovens are allowed. However, any other appliance that releases smoke through a building’s chimney—such as in a summerhouse—must burn only authorised fuel or be exempt.
List of 38 Affected Areas
Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Exeter, London, Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol, Luton, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Leamington Spa, Lichfield, Walsall, Stoke, Nottingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Bradford, Wakefield, Salford, York, Harrogate, Preston, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Sunderland, Lancaster, and Bolton.
