Smoke control areas

If you live in a smoke control area you must not cause smoke to come from your chimney.

If you want to have a fire in your home you should use an authorised smokeless fuel.

It is an offence for any person or company to obtain or deliver unauthorised fuels to a building within a smoke control area unless they are going to be used in an appliance that is exempt.

You can be fined £175 if you break the rules rising to £300 for repeat or more serious offences. 

Authorised fuels 

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 coal 

Ordinary bituminous coal and wood are not authorised fuels.

Exempt appliances 

You can burn unauthorised fuels in exempt appliances such as some boilers, cookers and stoves. You must only use the types of fuel that the manufacturer says can be used in the appliance.  

Find the list of exempt appliances on GOV.UK. 

You can find more information about outdoor ovens and barbecues on the smoke control rules page on GOV.UK. 

Smoke control areas in South Gloucestershire 

Our smoke control area is within the boundary of the M4, M5 and M32 motorways. It includes: 

  • Bradley Stoke 
  • Filton  
  • Little Stoke 
  • Patchway  
  • Stoke Gifford  

South Gloucestershire smoke control area map (PDF)

The following roads in Kingswood and Hanham are also in a smoke control area: 

  • Highview Road (1 to 43 – odd numbers) 
  • The Green (1 to 6) 
  • Canons Walk (all) 
  • Lees Hill (66 to 72 – even numbers) 
  • Pound Road (113 to 133 – odd numbers) 
  • Chapel Road (1 to 9 – odd numbers) 
  • Tudor Road (1 to 58) 

You can check if your home lies within one of these areas using Defra’s smoke control area map.

Defra has guidance on how to use wood burning stoves or open fires more safely and cleanly to create less air pollution and reduce the impact on your health. Using your stove or fire more efficiently can also save you money.

Chimney heights

Chimney heights must be approved by us under the Clean Air Act 1993.

Unless a chimney height has been approved, it is an offence to cause or knowingly permit a furnace to be used to:

  • burn pulverised fuel
  • burn any other solid matter at a rate of 45.4 kg or more per hour
  • burn any liquid or gaseous matter at a rate equivalent to 366.4 kw

Applying for chimney height approval

If you want to get your chimney height approved, you can download and complete an application form and send it to us by:

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