Smoke nuisance

Open fires, chimneys and wood-burning stoves

Horsham District is not a smoke control area and therefore residents are able to use the heating fuel and equipment of their choice.

However, we do recommend that residents use cleaner fuels in a cleaner appliance installed by a competent person as this will benefit air quality by reducing the amount of emitted particulate matter.

Ways to reduce the environmental impact of your fire

If you need to burn solid fuels to heat your home, choosing what you burn and how you burn it can make a big difference to the pollution it creates. We recommend the following steps to residents.

• Consider burning less
• Buy ‘Ready to Burn’ fuel
• Season freshly chopped wood before burning
• If you use House Coal, use approved smokeless fuels instead - such as anthracite or smokeless coals
• Do not burn treated waste wood (eg old furniture) or household rubbish
• Regularly maintain and service your stove (eg annually)
• Get your chimney swept regularly (up to twice a year)
• Preferably buy new equipment e.g. an oven, stove or wood burner, that is suitable for use in a smoke control area (these are called Exempt Appliances), as this helps minimise the amount of air pollution produced which has health benefits both for the owner and also all residents within the borough

Further information on clean burning

For more information on clean burning, as well as health effects and advice on what to burn, visit the Clean Burn Sussex website.