What are smoke control areas?

If you live in a town or city in the North East, there is a good chance your home is in a smoke control area. That does not stop you having a wood burner, but it does affect which stove you choose and what you burn in it.

In short

• Smoke control areas are set by local councils under the Clean Air Act 1993.
• In one, you must not let smoke come from your chimney unless you burn an authorised fuel or use a Defra-exempt appliance with the fuel it is approved for.
• The Environment Act 2021 made it easier for councils in England to issue penalties of up to £300 for smoke emissions.
• The whole of Newcastle and Sunderland, and most of Gateshead and South Tyneside, are smoke control areas. Parts of North Tyneside and Northumberland are too.
• Always check your exact address with your council.

What is a smoke control area?

Smoke control areas were introduced to tackle the heavy smoke pollution of the mid-twentieth century. Under the Clean Air Act 1993, a council can make a smoke control order covering all or part of its area. Inside that area, it is an offence for a building's chimney to emit smoke, unless the smoke comes from an authorised fuel or an exempt appliance.

Today the concern is mainly fine particulate pollution, which affects health. Domestic burning is a significant source of it, which is why the rules have been tightened in recent years.

What can you burn in a smoke control area?

According to GOV.UK, you have two options.

1. Burn an authorised fuel

Authorised fuels are smokeless fuels on Defra's list, together with anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas and low volatile steam coal. These can be used in any suitable appliance, including a multi-fuel stove. Wood is not an authorised fuel.

2. Use a Defra-exempt appliance

Exempt appliances are stoves and other appliances that have been tested and shown to burn an unauthorised fuel, typically wood, without producing excessive smoke. Each one is listed with the specific fuels it is approved for. If you want to burn logs in a smoke control area, your stove needs to be on the exempt appliances list, and you must use only the fuel the manufacturer specifies, usually dry wood.

Many modern Ecodesign stoves are also Defra-exempt, but not all are, so check the specific model and any required conversion kit before you buy.

What are the penalties?

The Environment Act 2021 amended the Clean Air Act 1993 for England, with the changes taking effect in 2022. Before then, councils generally had to prosecute through the criminal courts, which was difficult. Now:

• councils can issue a civil financial penalty of up to £300 where smoke is emitted from a chimney in a smoke control area, usually after a warning,
• buying unauthorised fuel to burn in a non-exempt appliance in a smoke control area can lead to a fine of up to £1,000,
• it is also an offence to sell controlled solid fuel for delivery into a smoke control area without warning the buyer.

Councils set out their own enforcement approach, so the process varies locally.

Smoke control areas in the North East

Here is what each council says, checked at the time of writing. Boundaries can change, so treat this as a starting point.

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle City Council states that the whole of the Newcastle upon Tyne district is a smoke control area. A replacement Smoke Control Order took effect in September 2024.

Gateshead

Gateshead Council says the vast majority of the borough is a smoke control area, with a number of exempt areas. The council publishes a document listing the exemptions.

Sunderland

Sunderland City Council states that Sunderland has been declared a smoke control area.

South Tyneside

South Tyneside Council says most of the borough is designated as a smoke control area.

North Tyneside

Parts of North Tyneside are smoke control areas. Check the council's air quality pages or contact its environmental health team to confirm your address.

Northumberland

Northumberland County Council's published data shows smoke control areas covering the former Wansbeck district and Blyth Valley borough, plus all of Morpeth, Lynemouth, Pegswood, Widdrington Station and Stobswood, Broomhill, Hadston and Red Row, and parts of Alnwick. Much of rural Northumberland is not covered, but check your address.

How to check your address

1. Visit your council's website and search for "smoke control".
2. Look at Defra's smoke control area map on the UK-AIR website. Defra says the map is indicative only, so confirm with the council.
3. If in doubt, contact the council's environmental health or pollution team.

Choosing a stove if you are in a smoke control area

If you want to burn wood, choose a Defra-exempt model and use dry, Ready to Burn logs. If you prefer a multi-fuel stove, you can burn authorised smokeless fuels in it, or wood too if the model is exempt for wood. An installer will check this as part of a compliant job. Our guide to stove installation regulations covers the wider rules, and our wood burner vs multi-fuel comparison may help you decide.

Need advice for your home?

Whether you are in Newcastle, Sunderland or a Northumberland village, the right stove depends on your address, your chimney and how you plan to use it. Get in touch to arrange a survey and a written quote for a wood burning stove installation that suits the rules where you live.