Open fires and smoke
We have in place a series of measures around open fires and smoke to minimise your exposure to air pollution. However, we all need to play our part – while some types of burning may be legal, they still cause pollution and put heavy particles into the air which damage our health. Please consider the impact you may have on air quality before purchasing a stove or having a bonfire.
We are a smoke control area
As designated by the Clean Air Act 1993, the whole of Lambeth is a smoke control area. It is illegal to emit smoke from chimneys in a smoke control area, unless you are using exempt appliances or burning an authorised fuel. You could face a fine of up to £1,000 if you break the law. For more information, read the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) guide.
Smoke control areas: do you know the rules? (PDF, 231KB)
Stoves and open fires
Stoves
Domestic wood burning is responsible for 16% of local PM2.5 pollution. All woodstoves emit high levels of PM2.5, contributing to air pollution indoors and outside, and the council is running a campaign to ask residents to stop all wood burning in their homes. For more information, click here. Legally, residents are permitted to use wood-burning and multi-fuel stoves included Defra's list of exempted stoves.
In these appliances, you can only use wood that is dry and ready to burn. Non-exempted appliances can only burn approved solid fuels. Do not burn treated waste wood, such as pallets and old furniture, as these can release toxic substances.
Open fires
There are no laws against bonfires but to minimise nuisance, follow the rules of bonfires. Be considerate towards your neighbours when lighting bonfires and barbecues and make sure not to cause a smoke nuisance. If a neighbour’s bonfire is causing a nuisance, you can report it via our anti-social behaviour form.
You can't dispose of household waste or garden waste by burning it, as this will cause pollution and harm people’s health. Instead, you can recycle it or compost it.