Warning issued to households in England with chimney on house | UK | News

Households in England are being warned they could face fines of up to £300 if they use their chimneys in winter, depending on where they live and their local council’s rules.

While every home built before the 1990s likely has a chimney on the roof, most of us won’t use it for decades or possibly ever, and the fireplace itself may be clogged and inaccessible.

But millions of people across the country still use fireplaces to heat their homes in the winter; with traditional fuels such as coal or a wood stove is installed in the chimney.

Unfortunately, if your chimney starts belching smoke, there are areas in the UK where you can be reported to the local council and fined due to a rule regarding Smoke Control Areas.

Smoke Control Areas have rules that determine exactly how much smoke can come out of your chimney. Smoke Control Areas are boundaries agreed by local councils that restrict the use of chimneys within them.

Not only does this limit the amount of smoke you can produce from your chimney, but it is also a general prohibition that prevents you from removing any smoke from your chimney. Many major cities in England fall within the Defra Smoke Control Area, including most of Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool, as well as much of London.

Section 19 of the Clean Air Act 1993 says that if you live in one of the areas covered by the Smoke Control Area, you must pay £300 if there is too much smoke coming out of your chimney.

As Direct Soves explains: “The current limit on the amount of smoke your chimney can produce in the Smoke Control Zone is 5g per hour plus 0.5g per kW of your stove’s heat output.

“However, this limit is planned to be reduced to 3 grams per hour, but it is not yet certain when this will happen.

“These rules mean that some people who only use a wood stove or open fire will pay a fine for using it. “Most modern wood stoves available are DEFRA approved so many stove owners need not worry.

“If you are looking to replace an old wood stove that produces too much smoke, or are considering installing a wood stove in your home for the first time, get an appliance that is DEFRA approved for use in Smoke Control Areas. A wood stove with this seal of approval has been designed and tested to operate within the restrictions.”

In its guidance, Defra says: “Open fireplaces and wood-burning stoves have gained popularity in recent years. The smoke from combustion causes air pollution that harms the health of millions of people. We can work together to improve the quality of the air we breathe.”

“Did you know that certain parts of the country have been designated as ‘smoke control areas’?

“A smoke control area is a legally defined area where you cannot remove smoke from the chimney. If you break this rule you may be issued with a financial penalty of between £175 and £300.”

Cities in England that are fully or partially covered by a Smoke Control Area include:

London (all London except West Ham)

Birmingham

Manchester

Sheffield

Leeds

Liverpool

newcastle

wakefield

nottingham

derby

Bristol

Bath

Stoke-on-Trent

Bradford

preston

Leicester

Norwich

peterborough

body

Doncaster

Wolverhampton

worcester

in Coventry

Milton Keynes

Reading

Portsmouth.