Helping to clean up Newham's air: Wood Burning
Did you know that if you can smell smoke, it means the tiny soot particles could gradually harm your health. Health experts recommend avoiding wood burning due to the harmful level of particulates emissions, enhancing indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Newham as a smoke control area - Consultation
Many parts of the UK are smoke control areas where you can’t emit smoke from a chimney unless you’re burning an authorised fuel or using ‘exempt appliances’, for example burners or stoves.
You can be fined up to £1,000 if you break the rules.
Under the Clean Air Act 1993, Newham is declared as a smoke control area, which means if you live in a smoke control area you must comply with the following:
- It is an offence to emit smoke from a domestic chimney.
- It is an offence for any person or company to obtain or deliver unauthorised fuels to a building, unless an exempt appliance is in use.
In light of changes made to the Clean Air Act 1993, via the Environment Act 2021, Newham recently undertook a consultation on re-declaring the whole of the borough as a Smoke Control Area.
The amendments made to the Clean Air Act 1993 will now enable Local Authorities to:
- Impose financial penalties for emissions of smoke in a Smoke Control Area, removing this as a criminal offence,
- Introduces offences relating to the sale and acquisition of solid fuel in England,
- To apply smoke control orders to vessels (i.e. houseboats).
The Council can now issue you with a fine of up to £300 for emitting smoke from a domestic chimney. It is a criminal offence to burn unauthorised fuels, except in an exempt appliance and offenders could face fines of up to £1000.
Any person who:
- offers controlled solid fuel for sale by retail where the fuel is to be taken away by the purchaser;
- fails to take reasonable steps, at the time of acquisition, to notify potential purchasers that it is an offence to acquire controlled solid fuel for use in a building or fireplace, other than an approved fireplace; or
- sells any controlled solid fuel by retail for delivery to a building covered by the Proposed Order, may be guilty of a criminal offence and liable on summary conviction to an unlimited fine.
Draft Smoke Control Order (PDF)
The consultation ran until 30 April 2023. We are now collating responses, with the hope of bringing the Order into action in September 2023, in line with Clean Air Act requirements.
What can you burn in a smoke control areas?
In a smoke control area you can only burn fuel on the list of authorised fuels, or any of the following ‘smokeless’ fuels:
- Anthracite
- Semi-anthracite
- Gas
- Low volatile steam coals and other ‘authorised fuels’
Unauthorised fuels, such as wood, can only be burned in exempt appliances such as some boilers, cookers and stoves.
Outdoor ovens, burners and barbecues
You can use outdoor barbecues, chimineas, fireplaces or pizza ovens. Any of these appliances that release smoke through a chimney of a building - for example a summerhouse - can only burn authorised fuel or must be exempt.
Garden bonfires
You’re allowed but should avoid garden bonfires in smoke control areas and follow the rules on bonfires.
Burning household rubbish
You must never burn household rubbish. Please follow this link for more information.
Sale of solid fuels
Since 1 May 2021, the Air Quality Solid Fuel regulations have come into force restricting the sale of wet wood and bitumen coal.
Changes Since 1 May 2021
- From the 1 May 2021, the sale of bitumen coal from retail suppliers has been banned. Only approved coal merchants are permitted to continue selling bitumen coal until 1st May 2023.
- Quantities of wood less than 2 cubic meters must be certified to have a moisture content less than 20% by the approved wood certification body and display the ready to burn logo on all packaging.
- A person must not supply a relevant unit of wood if, after the issue of a certificate, there is reason to believe that the moisture content of the wood exceeds 20 per cent.
- A person must not supply a manufactured solid fuel that is not an authorised fuel.
- A person who contravenes any of the prohibitions above commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
The full regulations can be seen here:
Wood burning and your health
People at home are often exposed to particulates less than 2.5 micrograms in quantities that exceed World Health Organization guidelines for household air pollution (PDF). Short-term and long-term exposure to these particulates, can lead to asthma, heart disease and worsen existing health conditions and risk of early deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Even when burning wood in an “exempt appliance” your health is a risk from poor indoor air quality.
Canal boats and wood or diesel burning for heating
Inland waterway corridors provide a cleaner, greener space for walking, cycling and recreational activities. Trees and vegetation along the waterways help clean the air and regulate the environment for people and wildlife to flourish. While boats are by no means a major contributor to urban air pollution concentrations they can have a localised impact on air quality. Those most at risk from boat engine fumes are boaters themselves. Under the amendments made to the Clean Air Act 1993, domestic burning from vessels is now covered under the regulations and wood burning must be in compliance with the regulations highlighted above. Using cleaner sources of energy, will benefit boaters’ health and contribute to cleaner air for everyone. Please download our informative flyer (PDF) for more information.
Report smoke or other burning related nuisances
If a neighbour is frequently having a bonfire and it is causing a problem, talk to your neighbour. They may not be aware that the bonfire is a nuisance to others. If the problem continues, call us on 020 8430 2000.
Report a bonfire on an industrial or commercial site
If you run a business, you must make arrangements to get rid of your rubbish in the right way, either through our commercial waste service or a private waste company.
Under the Clean Air Act, it is illegal for a business to use a bonfire to burn materials which cause dark smoke such as plastic, paint tins or rubber. You could face a fine of up to £20,000. We will investigate commercial bonfires that cause dark smoke or a general nuisance, to report one, call us on 020 8430 2000.
If you think you smell gas, call The National Grid immediately on 0800 111 999