Hotspur 5 & 9 Issue 2 December 2017
27
Smoke Control Areas
The Clean Air Act 1993 and Smoke Control Areas
Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the authority to be
a smoke control area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from
any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. It is also an offence to acquire an
"unauthorised fuel" for use within a smoke control area unless it is used in an "exempt" appliance
("exempted" from the controls which generally apply in the smoke control area).
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has powers under the Act to authorise
smokeless fuels or exempt appliances for use in smoke control areas in England. In Scotland and Wales
this power rests with Ministers in the devolved administrations for those countries. Separate legislation,
the Clean Air (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, applies in Northern Ireland. Therefore it is a requirement that
fuels burnt or obtained for use in smoke control areas have been "authorised" in Regulations and that
appliances used to burn solid fuel in those areas (other than "authorised" fuels) have been exempted by
an Order made and signed by the Secretary of State or Minister in the devolved administrations.
The Hotspur 5 & 9 have both been recommended as suitable for use in smoke control areas when
burning wood. They have a modified secondary/tertiary air control slide to prevent complete closure.
Further information on the requirements of the Clean Air Act can be found here :
https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules
Your local authority is responsible for implementing the Clean Air Act 1993 including designation and
supervision of smoke control areas and you can contact them for details of Clean Air Act requirements
Refuelling on to a low fire bed
If there is insufficient burning material in the firebed to light a new fuel charge, excessive smoke emission
can occur. Refuelling must be carried out onto a sufficient quantity of glowing embers and ash that the
new fuel charge will ignite in a reasonable period. If there are too few embers in the fire bed, add suitable
kindling to prevent excessive smoke
Fuel overloading
The maximum amount of fuel specified in this manual should not be exceeded, overloading can cause
excess smoke.
Operation with door left open
Operation with the door open can cause excess smoke. The appliance must not be operated with the
appliance door left open except as directed in the instructions.
Dampers left open
Operation with the air controls or dampers open can cause excess smoke. The appliance must not be
operated with air controls, dampers or door left open except as directed in the instructions
