DEFRA confused?

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.

In a nutshell:

1: are you in a smoke zone?, check on your local council website.

2: if you are you are then you must burn only what they say you can usually

    Anthracite coal but not wood.

    or

    Buy a Defra stove( these stoves burn more efficiently and are purpose made to

   reduce the emission they burn.You then can burn seasoned wood & smokeless fuel

    or

    if you have a basic stove which is not compliant your either by a new one or

   increase the size of your flue.

  The Goverment has a EU directive to reduce all carbon emission by 35% by 2025.