7. Appendix
The Clean Air Act 1993 and 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 Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has powers under the Act to authorise smokeless
fuels or exempt appliances for use in smoke control areas in England. In Scotland and Wales this power rests with
Ministers in the devolved administrations for those countries. Separate legislation, the Clean Air (Northern Ireland)
Order 1981, applies in Northern Ireland. Therefore it is a requirement that fuels burnt or obtained for use in smoke
control areas have been “authorised” in Regulations and that appliances used to burn solid fuel in those areas
(other than “authorised” fuels) have been exempted by an Order made and signed by the Secretary of State or
Minister in the devolved administrations.
The Country 510 and 760 have been recommended as suitable for use in smoke control areas when burning wood.
Further information on the requirements of the Clean Air Act can be found here : http://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/
Your local authority is responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act 1993 including designation and supervision
of smoke control areas and you can contact them for details of Clean Air Act requirements
