Most of the borough of Sutton is a Smoke Control Area, within one of 32 areas as described in the Clean Air Act of 1993. This means that if smoke is emitted from a building chimney within the borough, it is an offence under the Act.
We are Currently consulting to consolidate all these existing smoke control areas and form one order to cover the whole borough. Click here for consultation documents
The entire borough of Sutton is a Smoke Control Area, as described in the Clean Air Act of 1993. This means that if smoke is emitted from a building chimney within the borough, it is an offence under the Act.
There are exemptions if you are burning an authorised fuel or using an exempt appliance:
- visit Defras website for a full list of authorised fuels
- visit Defras website for a full list of exempt appliances
Non-authorised fuel and non-exempt appliances
You could be guilty of an offence and fined up to £1000, if smoke is emitted from your chimney as a result of:
- the burning of a non-authorised fuel
- using a non-exempt appliance
You can read the rules for Smoke Control Areas on GOV.UK.
This legislation does not apply to barbecues and bonfires. You can get advice on bonfires on GOV.UK.
Open fires and wood burning stoves
You can get guidance on open fires and wood-burning stoves on GOV.UK.
Bonfires
We receive more complaints about bonfires than any other form of air pollution. Low level smoke has a considerable polluting effect, particularly in built up areas.
Bonfire smoke contains pollutants that can have damaging health effects. Bonfires often cause discomfort, inconvenience and bad feeling between neighbours.
We discourage bonfires for disposing of garden or other waste.
You should dispose of garden or other waste using sustainable methods, such as:
- composting
- shredding and
- recycling
You could also sign up for our garden waste collection service.
What we can do
We can take action under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, if burning of garden waste is:
- a regular occurrence and
- statutory nuisance
If we take action against you, you could be liable for a fine of up to £5,000.
Report a bonfire
In most cases, the best way to stop a smoke nuisance is by speaking to the person responsible for causing it. They may not know that they are causing a disturbance.
If this doesn't work, you can report the issue to us by:
- sending an email to our environmental health team
- calling us on 0208 770 5000
You'll need to tell us:
- about the problem
- where the problem is (your address an the address of the problem)
- your name
- your contact details
We don't accept anonymous reports about bonfires. This is because we need to be able to contact you to discuss the issue.
Your identity will be protected under data protection regulations. You should keep in mind that if your report goes to court your identity may need to be revealed.