Brighton & Hove City Council has approved the creation of a single city-wide Smoke Control Area (SCA) as part of efforts to reduce particulate pollution linked to domestic wood burning.
The council’s cabinet approved the measure on 14 May, with the decision formally published the following day. The move will replace five existing smoke-control zones dating from the 1970s with a unified area covering most of the built-up urban area and urban fringe.1
According to the council, monitoring data gathered through its city-wide air-quality sensor network indicates that PM2.5 concentrations are substantially higher during the winter heating season, with solid-fuel burning identified as a major contributor.2
The authority said the new SCA would not prohibit wood burners outright but would regulate what fuels and appliances can legally be used. Under smoke-control rules, only authorised fuels and exempt appliances may be used without producing smoke emissions.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, cabinet member for Environmental Services and Net Zero, said the council’s monitoring network had produced “clear and extensive data” showing the impact of solid-fuel burning on air quality across Brighton & Hove.
Rowkins said many wood burners and open fires were used as a “luxury” rather than as primary heating and said it was important to “protect our residents from the harmful effects of PM2.5”.
The approved zone excludes the sparsely populated South Downs National Park area within the local authority boundary, which the council said contains fewer than 1% of the city’s dwellings.
A public consultation carried out earlier this year reportedly found that almost half of respondents supported extending smoke-control coverage across the urban area or entire council boundary, while fewer than a third favoured retaining the existing five-zone arrangement.
The move comes amid increasing national scrutiny of emissions from domestic solid-fuel burning. Air-pollution researchers and public-health groups have argued that wood-burning stoves are a significant source of fine particulate pollution, particularly in urban areas.3
However, the measure is subject to some contention. Industry bodies representing the stove sector argue that modern Ecodesign-compliant appliances produce significantly lower emissions than open fires and older stoves. Some groups offer good practice guidelines to help minimise emissions of PM, as well as other pollutants such as NOx, CO and OGC.4 Nonetheless, public-health campaigners say domestic wood burning remains a significant source of PM2.5 pollution.
The council has delegated authority to officers to finalise the wording and implementation details of the new Smoke Control Order. Industry bodies have indicated that communications to residents are expected later in 2026 ahead of the winter heating season.
Local authorities across the UK are currently trying to decide how best to tackle domestic combustion emissions while balancing public-health concerns, energy affordability and household heating preferences.
Notes
[1] Brighton & Hove City Council cabinet decision, 15 May 2026; see also “Brighton moves to ban wood burners across most of the city”, Air Quality News, 11 May 2026. Link: https://airqualitynews.com/headlines/brighton-moves-to-ban-wood-burners-across-most-of-the-city/
[2] ibid
[3] “Lobbyists send legal threats to councils over anti-wood burner campaigns”, The Guardian, 5 March 2026. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/lobbyists-send-legal-threats-to-councils-over-anti-wood-burner-campaigns
[4] “What is air pollution? Wood burners and their impact on the environment”, HETAS website. Link: https://www.hetas.co.uk/consumer/advice-hub/advice-articles/air-pollution-wood-burners-impact/
