Following the full council meeting on Tuesday 8 November 2022 Sandwell Council unanimously agreed to declare the whole borough of Sandwell as a Smoke Control Area (SCA) under the Clean Air Act 1993.
The new Borough Council of Sandwell Smoke Control Order 2022, will replace the existing 51 SCAs and ensure that all properties in the Borough are subject to the same legal requirements in relation to the prevention of smoke from building chimneys.
As a Council we have a legal duty to assess local air quality and where necessary take appropriate action to protect the health of those living and working in the Borough. The declaration of a borough-wide Smoke Control Area is just one of a range measures that Sandwell Council can implement to help reduce the exposure of all its communities to the harmful smoke emissions created by domestic solid fuel burning.
A six-week public consultation on the ‘Intention to Declare a Borough-wide Smoke Control Area’ was completed in May 2022 as requested by full Council in December 2021. No formal objections were received to the proposal following both formal advertisement and the public consultation.
Residents and businesses can view a copy of the Borough Council of Sandwell Smoke Control Order 2022 on the Council’s air quality webpage and find out more about the rules surrounding Smoke Control Areas. The Order can also be viewed at Sandwell Council House in Oldbury from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and in libraries across Sandwell for a 6 week period from Monday 27th February until Tuesday 11th April 2023.
Smoke Control Areas are commonly used in urban areas to help protect the local population from the negative health effects caused by smoke emitted from wood burning stoves and open fireplaces.
Only authorised fuels or exempt appliances can be used in a Smoke Control Area, and those breaking the rules can be fined.
Air pollution is a significant issue in Sandwell and some of the most harmful man-made air pollutants are emitted from wood and coal burning stoves.
Sandwell currently has 52 separate SCAs, by extending the SCA to cover the whole of the borough all neighbourhoods will be protected against harmful smoke emissions.