There are Smoke Control Areas (sometimes called smokeless zones) across Greater Manchester to keep people safe from air pollution. That means:

    • You can’t release smoke from a chimney.
    • You can only burn authorised fuel, unless you use an appliance approved by Defra (also known as an ‘exempt appliance’ or ‘Defra approved appliance’).

People who break these rules can face financial penalties.

In England you may have to pay a penalty of up to £300 if your chimney releases smoke in a smoke control area. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you buy unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that’s not approved by Defra

You can find out more about the rules on the government’s smoke control area webpage. This gives more information on authorised fuels and exempt/approved appliances.

Find out more and contact your local council

You can visit your local council smoke and pollution webpages for more information about air pollution and smoke control areas:

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