UK smoke Control Areas - Clean Air Acts 1956 and 1968

Legislative background- The Clean Air Acts of 1956 & 1968

The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 were introduced to deal with the smogs of the 1950s and 1960s which were caused by the widespread burning of coal for domestic heating and by industry.

These smogs were blamed for the premature deaths of hundreds of people in the UK. The Acts gave local authorities powers to control emissions of dark smoke, grit, dust and fumes from industrial premises and furnaces and to declare “smoke control areas” in which emissions of smoke from domestic properties are banned.

Since then, smoke control areas have been introduced in many of our large towns and cities in the UK and in large parts of the Midlands, North West, South Yorkshire, North East of England, Central and Southern Scotland.

Smoke control areas

Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the authority to be a smoke control area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. It is also an offence to acquire an “unauthorised fuel” for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in an “exempt” appliance (“exempted” from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control area). The current maximum level of fine is £1,000 for each offence.

Your local authority is responsible for enforcing the legislation in smoke control areas and you can contact them for details of any smoke control areas in their area. They should also have details of the fuels and appliances which may be used.

To find out if you are in a smoke Control Area simply visit the UK Smoke Control Area Website

Smoke Control Area Exempt Stoves

The Following Stoves have been authorised under the Act for use in a Smoke Controlled Area:

Dovre
The Stoves below are only authorised for use in Smoke control areas.

Dovre 500 Cleanburn Woodburning Stove - Only authorised to burn wood
Dovre 700 Cleanburn Woodburning Stove - Only authorised to burn wood

Hwam
The Stoves below are only authorised for use in smoke control areas.

Hwam 30 Woodburning Stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Beethoven Woodburning Stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Mozart Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Ravel Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.
Hwam Vivaldi Woodburning stove - Untreated dry wood.

Morso
Morso Owl Multi Fuel Stove - Untreated dry wood, which has been split, stacked and air dried or air dried wood briquettes