DOZENS of Brits will now have to comply with new rules when lighting a fire in their home.
The change is set to come into effect in just a matter of days and could see you slapped with a £300 fine.
The whole of York is set to become a smoke control area.
These are parts of the UK which must not emit smoke from a chimney or use or sell unauthorised fuel.
This rule was brought in by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to reduce air pollution and has been in place for over two decades.
Councils can also issue fines for those who do not comply under new rules brought in three years ago.
At the moment around 80 per cent of York households must comply with these rules.
But come November 1, the entire city must follow these rules.
In an update, the council confirmed the change is not a ban on wood-burning stoves or open fires.
Residents can continue to use them if they follow the rules, but restrictions apply.
From next month, prolonged smoke from chimneys attached to buildings will not be allowed for more than 15 minutes after initially lighting a fire.
You can check out the full list of rules below:
- Open fires must use authorised smokeless fuel
- Wood can still be burned in a DEFRA-approved stove
- Wood should be dry and properly seasoned
- Residents should look for the “Ready to Burn” logo when buying wood fuel.
The council said that anyone found to repeatedly breach these rules will be hit with a £300 fine.
Councillor Jenny Kent, executive member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said: “This is not about saying people can’t use stoves or open fires. It is about helping people use the right fuel in the right way, so we can all benefit from cleaner air.”
You can find out if you live in a smoke control area by using an online map created by the department, this can be found by searching https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/sca/ .
