Pollution Control

Clean Air Act approval

The Clean Air Act, 1993, introduced a wide range of new regulations such as those which control smoke emissions and the height of chimneys and those relating to the content and composition of motor fuels.

The control of chimney heights enables local authorities to take into account a number of relevant factors in determining the height of a chimney.

Under section 14 of the Act, unless the height of the chimney has been approved by the local authority and any conditions attached to approval adhered to, it is an offence to cause to cause or knowingly permit a furnace to be used to:

Burn pulverised fuel
Burn at a rate of 45.4 kg or more an hour any other solid matter; or
Burn at a rate equivalent to 366.4 kW or more any liquid or gaseous matter

An application for chimney height approval must contain adequate information to enable the necessary calculations to be carried out.

The local authority must consider an application for approval for chimney height for a furnace and give a written decision within 28 days of receipt, unless it is agreed in writing between us and the applicant that a longer period is allowed. If we fail to deal with the application within this time period, then approval without qualification is given.

Barking and Dagenham is completely covered by smoke control areas. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney. If you want to have a real fire in your home, you should make sure that you either burn an authorised fuel (otherwise known as a smokeless fuel such as Coalite or Homefire) or burn fuel on an exempted fireplace, usually a specially designed closed stove.