Burnley Council is preparing to embark on a crucial review of its current smoke control regime to address significant gaps in coverage, particularly in newly developed residential areas that have expanded in recent decades. At a meeting scheduled for Wednesday night, the council’s executive will be asked to approve a comprehensive evaluation of the existing Smoke Control Orders (SCOs), the legal framework that governs how air quality is regulated across different parts of the borough. This review comes in response to concerns over the increasing use of wood-burning stoves in areas that were not originally covered by these orders.
The council’s decision to review the current SCOs is not being undertaken alone. Burnley is set to join forces with Chorley Council and South Ribble Council in commissioning a specialist environmental consultant to assess the smoke control regimes across all three boroughs simultaneously. This collaboration will be supported by a £11,710 grant from the UK government, which has been provided to assist local authorities in improving their environmental standards and addressing emerging challenges related to air quality.
The report prepared for the upcoming meeting sheds light on the growing need to modernize Burnley’s smoke control policies to better reflect the borough’s changing urban landscape. Most of the borough is currently covered by SCOs that were established several decades ago, in the 1960s and 1970s. These original orders were introduced as part of a nationwide effort to combat the severe smog that plagued many towns and cities across the UK during the mid-20th century, largely caused by industrial emissions and the widespread domestic burning of coal. However, while these measures proved effective in reducing the visible pollution of that era, they did not anticipate the types of challenges that have emerged in more recent years, particularly the growing popularity of wood-burning stoves in newer residential areas.
At the time the original SCOs were introduced, large parts of what are now densely populated residential areas were still relatively undeveloped. These regions were not seen as a significant source of pollution and therefore were not included in the orders. However, in the intervening decades, Burnley has experienced considerable growth, with new housing developments springing up in areas that were once sparsely populated. As more homes have been built in these previously unregulated areas, there has been a corresponding rise in the use of solid fuel stoves, which burn wood or other biomass materials. While these stoves may evoke an image of traditional home heating, they also contribute to air pollution, releasing fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and other harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
The report highlights that the increasing use of wood-burning stoves in these newer developments is a growing concern, particularly given the well-documented health risks associated with solid fuel combustion. Although the thick, dark smog of past decades has largely disappeared, thanks in part to the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968, air pollution remains a serious issue in many parts of the UK, including Burnley. The combustion of solid fuels, such as wood and coal, continues to produce harmful emissions that can negatively impact respiratory health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The Clean Air Acts were originally introduced in response to a series of deadly smog events in the 1950s, most notably the Great Smog of London in 1952, which was estimated to have caused thousands of premature deaths. These events underscored the urgent need for stronger regulations to control emissions from both industrial and domestic sources. Under the Clean Air Acts, local authorities were given the power to designate Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) within their jurisdictions, where the burning of certain fuels was either prohibited or heavily restricted. This legislation was instrumental in cleaning up the air in many urban areas and improving public health.
However, while these measures were highly effective at addressing the most visible forms of pollution, the nature of the problem has evolved over time. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the health risks posed by smaller, less visible pollutants, such as PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, where they can cause a range of health problems, from respiratory infections and asthma attacks to heart disease and strokes. In fact, air pollution is now recognized as one of the leading environmental causes of premature death worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that it contributes to around seven million deaths each year.
Given these well-established health risks, the council’s report emphasizes the importance of updating Burnley’s SCOs to ensure that they remain fit for purpose in the 21st century. One of the key objectives of the review will be to address the gaps in coverage that currently exist in the borough’s smoke control regime. Specifically, the review will focus on those areas of new development that were not included in the original orders and where the use of wood-burning stoves has become more prevalent. By bringing these areas under the same regulatory framework as the rest of the borough, the council hopes to reduce the levels of harmful pollutants being released into the air and, in turn, improve public health outcomes for all residents.
Among the options that will be considered as part of the review is the possibility of extending smoke control regulations to cover the entire administrative area of Burnley. If this approach is adopted, it would involve revoking the existing patchwork of SCOs and replacing them with a single, borough-wide Smoke Control Order. This would not only simplify the regulatory framework but also send a clear and consistent message to all residents about the importance of reducing smoke pollution. A unified approach would also make enforcement more straightforward, as there would no longer be any confusion about which areas are covered by the regulations and which are not.
Alternatively, the council could choose to retain the existing SCOs while introducing new ones to cover those parts of the borough that are currently unregulated. This option would allow for a more targeted approach, focusing on those areas where the need for regulation is greatest. The review will also explore the possibility of including houseboats moored along Burnley’s canals within the scope of the smoke control regulations, recognizing that these vessels can also be a source of pollution if they rely on solid fuel for heating.
Whatever approach is ultimately chosen, the review will be guided by the principle of ensuring that Burnley’s smoke control regime is both effective and equitable. As the report notes, extending the SCA to cover the whole borough would help to provide a consistent message to all residents and enable more effective enforcement where necessary. This, in turn, could have a significant positive impact on public health, as reducing exposure to harmful pollutants is known to improve respiratory health, lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and reduce hospital admissions related to air quality.
The decision to review Burnley’s smoke control policies comes at a time when there is growing recognition of the need to take urgent action to improve air quality across the UK. In recent years, both national and local governments have been under increasing pressure to tackle the issue of air pollution, particularly in light of new evidence linking it to a range of serious health problems. In 2021, for example, a landmark coroner’s ruling in the case of nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, who died from a severe asthma attack, concluded that air pollution had played a direct role in her death. This was the first time that air pollution had been listed as a cause of death in the UK, and it has added new urgency to calls for stronger regulations and enforcement measures to protect public health.
For Burnley Council, the upcoming review represents an important step in ensuring that the borough’s air quality standards remain high, even as its population continues to grow and new developments spring up in previously unregulated areas. By working with specialist consultants and neighboring authorities, the council hopes to develop a more comprehensive and up-to-date smoke control regime that can effectively address the challenges of modern urban living while safeguarding the health of all its residents.
As the council’s report makes clear, the need for action is clear, and the potential benefits of updating the smoke control regime are significant. Whether through a borough-wide order or more targeted measures, the council’s aim is to create a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone who lives and works in Burnley.