Brighton & Hove City Council's cabinet approved a citywide smoke control area (SCA) on 14 May 2026, replacing the five existing zones with one boundary covering the entire built-up area, including the city centre and Hove1. The decision followed a six-week public consultation held between 19 January and 1 March 20261. The South Downs National Park is the only exclusion from the change1.
The city's existing smoke control areas date back to the 1970s, and currently only parts of Brighton sit within one, including Brighton city centre, Hanover and Elm Grove, Bevendean and Montpelier. Hove has none1. The council has said the single zone is intended to simplify regulation, make rules fairer across neighbourhoods and improve communication with residents1. HETAS, the solid fuel certification body, reported the council found seasonal increases in PM2.5 during the winter, and that a smoke control area is one way to help reduce these emissions1.
The rules that will apply are the same as those in every smoke control area in England. Within an SCA it is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney, and to buy or sell unauthorised fuel for use in a smoke control area unless it is for an exempt appliance1. Wood is classed as an unauthorised fuel under Defra's rules, so wood can only be burned in an appliance that has been approved by Defra for use in smoke control areas following emissions tests1. HETAS states that Cleaner Choice certified stoves produce at least 50 per cent less particulate emissions than SCA limits and can be used in smoke control areas1. A fixed penalty notice may be issued for emitting smoke from a chimney while living in a smoke control area2.
"Brighton & Hove will become a single, citywide Smoke Control Area (SCA), replacing the five existing zones."
Brighton & Hove is not the first authority to consolidate. Hackney combined all 27 of its existing smoke control areas into one borough-wide zone, with all of Hackney becoming a smoke control area from 1 December 2025; moored boats in Hackney are not subject to SCA rules2. Reading's smoke control area changes came into effect on 1 December 20242. Cambridge City Council has announced intentions for a citywide SCA to replace three smaller zones, and Norwich City Council is expected to press ahead with plans to replace three existing zones with a single citywide zone2. In Norwich's consultation, more than half of respondents said they did not know that parts of the city were already SCAs2.
| Area | Change | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove | Five zones replaced by one citywide SCA | Approved 14 May 20261 |
| Hackney | 27 zones combined into one borough-wide SCA | In force 1 December 20252 |
| Reading | SCA changes came into effect | 1 December 20242 |
| Cambridge | Three zones to be replaced by one citywide SCA | Announced, date not reported2 |
| Norwich | Three zones to be replaced by one citywide SCA | Expected, date not reported2 |
Why it matters for households
For a household inside the new boundary, the practical effect is that wood can only be burned in a Defra exempt appliance, and smoke from a chimney becomes an offence that can attract a fixed penalty notice. Households in Hove and in parts of Brighton outside the old zones move onto the same footing as those that have been covered for decades1. Households already inside an existing zone see very little change1. The change does not ban wood burners, and HETAS states that a modern appliance burning quality fuel will meet the rules comfortably1. For a home relying on a stove or open fire as part of its heating, the boundary now covers the whole built-up area rather than a patchwork of streets, so the rules that apply no longer depend on which side of a zone edge a property sits1. The council has not reported any change to the fuels available for purchase beyond the existing national rules on unauthorised fuel1. Further detail on how smoke control areas are set and enforced sits in the regulation and policy section.
What happens next
The council will now finalise the Smoke Control Order, with communications to residents planned for autumn 2026, ahead of the winter heating season1. HETAS states that residents should expect guidance from the council before any enforcement begins1. The Defra UK AIR interactive map will be updated once the citywide SCA comes into force1. The date the order takes effect has not been reported1.