UK builders - planning permission/smoke control areas?

[Puy de Dome]

For all UK based builders...

Are you in a smoke control area?

Also, did you need to apply for planning permission?

I read that it is illegal to emit smoke from a 'building/chimney/furnace' if in a smoke control area.

PdD

[dmun]

Please let us know what you find out about the smoke control area: I know that there are "smoke free" solid fuels, like anthracite briquettes, that you could burn in a grate.

The good news is that once you get your oven up to temperature, wood just bursts into flame, and burns brightly and quickly, with almost no smoke. The trick is to get your oven up to white.

[Puy de Dome]

I know I should have looked into this in more depth before, but that's how I am - a bit disorganised.

I think there is an offence committed if you cause smoke to be emitted from a chimney on a building. My 'chimney' is going to be on a 'building', so if I deal with the 'smoke' maybe I shouldn't worry.

I'm obviously at the stage of finding more out about fuels - I didn't know for example that wood would catch fire instantly when lobbed into hgh heat.

Someone else told me not to start a fire with paper, so maybe those little white fire starters is what I can use.

PdD

[Faz]

There's some useful info at the following website :

Smoke Control Areas

Basically, any furnace, chimney etc must not emit smoke if it is within a smoke control area, enless it is an exempted appliance (one which has been approved as being able to burn inherently smoky materials without the release of smoke - this is unlikely to apply to a home built oven) or is using an exempt fuel (ie an approved smokeless fuel). The exemptions from the Clean Air Act are set out in law, so there is no ambiguity whether a particular oven or fuel is approved or not.

Hope this helps, though it may not be exactly what you wanted to hear.

[Puy de Dome]

So the worse case scenario is, apart from being fined £1000 and being ordered to pull my work down, is that I can only burn a smokeless fuel?

I can envisage only burning coal (anthracite) in my oven, not wood.



Maybe I should just get a chimenea and settle for some toast on that instead.

[CajunKnight]

This is a quote from Smoke Control Areas posted above, sounds like a WFO would fall under this if fire was properly maintained and good seasoned wood was used. Have to ask questions to those that give the permits.

Exempt appliances
Exempt appliances are appliances (ovens, wood burners and stoves) which have been exempted by Statutory Instruments (Orders) under the Clean Air Act 1993 or Clean Air (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. These have passed tests to confirm that they are capable of burning an unauthorised or inherently smoky solid fuel without emitting smoke.

[Puy de Dome]

I think the problem will arise becasue my oven is not an approved oven, although it is an 'oven'.

But yes, you're correct - I ought to be asking the town hall about this, the finer detail.

PdD

[Faz]

You are correct, the approvals are passed in law, for example this piece of legislation lists a load that have passed the appropriate tests (whatever they are!). The second link is the explanatory memorandum which may provide a little more clarity.

The Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) Order 2006
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/em2006/uksiem_20061152_en.pdf

You can see how prescriptive the legislation is - specific models of oven/boiler are listed, rather than more generic types.

A word of caution though, if you contact the council directly to obtain further information, it will be difficult to plead ignorance in the future should you need to do so.

[asudavew]

It may be time to move........

It might be worth it!

[Puy de Dome]

Originally Posted by Faz

You are correct, the approvals are passed in law, for example this piece of legislation lists a load that have passed the appropriate tests (whatever they are!). The second link is the explanatory memorandum which may provide a little more clarity.

The Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) Order 2006
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/em2006/uksiem_20061152_en.pdf

You can see how prescriptive the legislation is - specific models of oven/boiler are listed, rather than more generic types.

A word of caution though, if you contact the council directly to obtain further information, it will be difficult to plead ignorance in the future should you need to do so.

I have always thought it better in life to be as upfront as possible with authority, and this is no different.

I did ring the council pollution control today and recieved a pretty positive response from the person on the end of the line - I showed my by now considerable knowledge of the law and the steps I am prepared to take to ameliorate the effects of any fire I have/ showed concern fot eh neighbours etc.

Said person on the phone said that they would ask further in their office tomorrow and get back to me to clarify.

So it's fingers crossed at the moment.


PdD