Smoke control areas
Birmingham has been a smoke control area under the Clean Air Act since 1985. This helps to improve air quality in the city.
The Environment Act 2021 amended the Clean Air Act, so we have made a new smoke control order.
The Smoke Control Order 2025 came into force on 23 March 2026. This replaces and revokes all earlier smoke control orders.
Download the 2025 Smoke Control Order
The new order extends the rules to include moored vessels. This means residents and canal boat users can only burn authorised fuels in an open fireplace or wood in an exempt appliance. You cannot burn coal in Birmingham.
Learn more about the smoke control areas
Smoke control area rules
You must use the correct fuel at all times. Using the wrong fuel can cause smoke.
You may get a fixed penalty if your chimney emits smoke in a smoke control area.
You can only burn authorised fuels in an open fireplace, and you can only burn wood in an exempt appliance.
Restrictions on firewood and manufactured solid fuels
The Air Quality Domestic Solid Fuels Standards set limits on which fuels can be sold for home burning:
- firewood sold in units of less than 2 cubic metres must be certified by the Ready to Burn Scheme and the certification details and scheme logo must be attached to the packaging and clearly displayed at the point of sale
- if firewood is sold in units of more than 2 cubic metres, customers must be given information that explains how to dry, store and check the moisture of the wood before it is used
- all manufactured solid fuels must be certified by the Ready to Burn Scheme and the certification details and scheme logo must be attached to the packaging and clearly displayed at the point of sale
- fuels that do not need certification include coffee logs, olive logs, wine logs and fuels mostly made of wheat husks, straw, miscanthus, bamboo or compressed food waste
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Page last updated: 25 March 2026
