From 1 November all of York is a Smoke Control Area: no logs on open fires, wood only in approved stoves. Strensall, Poppleton and other villages are newly covered.
The whole of York becomes a Smoke Control Area on Sunday 1 November. Households that burn wood or coal anywhere in the council’s area will then have to follow the same rules, the council announced on Tuesday.
About 80% of York homes are already covered. The change matters most in the places that were not. The old orders, dating from the late 1960s, covered only 14% of the council’s land, according to the Executive report that approved the expansion in March.
Who is newly covered
The report lists the areas outside the current boundary. Inside the outer ring road:
- parts of Fulford and Heslington
- Clifton Moor
- New Earswick
- Monks Cross
Outside it, most villages, including:
- Skelton
- Poppleton
- Earswick
- Strensall
- Stockton on the Forest
- Dunnington
- Copmanthorpe
- Bishopthorpe
You can check your address on the council’s Smoke Control Areas map. The report says homes outside the current areas make up about 35% of York properties that burn solid fuel as a secondary heat.
What changes on 1 November
It is not a ban on stoves or open fires. The council’s Smoke Control Areas page sets out what each kind of fire can burn:
| What you have | What you can burn from 1 November |
|---|---|
| Open fireplace | Authorised smokeless fuel only. No logs, though a little dry kindling to light it is allowed |
| Defra-approved stove | Dry, seasoned wood as now, or authorised smokeless fuel |
| Non-approved multi-fuel stove (with ash pan or grate) | Authorised smokeless fuel only |
| Non-approved wood-only stove (no ash pan or grate) | Needs a manufacturer’s conversion kit, or replacing |
Smoke from a chimney should not carry on for more than 15 minutes after a fire is first lit. Wet wood and treated waste wood will be off limits everywhere because they make heavy smoke. Garden bonfires, barbecues, chimineas and fire pits are not covered by these rules.
Fines
The council says its first job is helping people understand the rules. People who keep breaking them after being given advice could be fined up to £300.
Why the council is doing it
Solid fuel burning makes up nearly a third (31%) of York’s emissions of PM2.5, the fine particles that reach the lungs and bloodstream, the March report says. Peter Roderick, York’s Director of Public Health, said there are “no safe levels of these particles”, which harm everyone and especially children and older people.
Councillor Jenny Kent, the Executive Member for Environment, said: “This is not about saying people can’t use stoves or open fires. It is about helping people use the right fuel in the right way.”
The public was not keen. In the council’s consultation, 29% of those who answered supported the expansion and 64.7% opposed it. More than three quarters of respondents lived outside the existing areas. The report says many assumed the council planned to ban wood burning outright, which it does not.
What it means for you
- Check your stove. Look for a plate or sticker saying “DEFRA approved” or “Smoke Control Exempt”, check the manual, or search the make and model on the Defra appliance list.
- Check your fuel. Authorised smokeless fuels are on the Defra fuel list. For logs, look for the Ready to Burn label.
- If wood is your only heat, the council points to York Energy Advice, YorEnergy and its own Home Energy Efficiency Team for help. Leaflets are in York’s libraries.
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