Help us protect the city’s historic elm collection and improve air quality

We’re urging residents in Brighton & Hove to do their bit to protect the city's historic elm collection while also improving air quality.

We want to reduce the risk of spreading elm disease this winter and so we’re asking people who may have log burners and open fireplaces to ensure they don’t have elm logs in their wood piles.

The best way to avoid Elm logs being brought into the city is not to burn logs at all. Burning wood in fireplaces and burners is a big contributor to particulate pollution and implicated in 1 in 20 deaths of people over 30 in Brighton & Hove. It also has serious impacts on those with conditions such as asthma.

We have a clear message to residents this winter:

• Please don’t burn solid fuels unnecessarily
• If you do need to use your wood-burner or fireplace, please buy smokeless fuels
• Avoid elm logs at all costs - if you are buying logs, ask the seller if they include elm.
• If you think you may have elm in your collection, contact us via elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk. We’ll dispose of them and give you an alternative free of charge.

Elm logs brought into the city for burning in fireplaces and wood-burners may contain the larvae of the beetles that spread Elm Disease. The council regrettably had to remove dozens of trees from a single street this year due to an outbreak thought to have originated from logs stored nearby.

We have recently changed our approach to wood-burning, particularly in the city’s 5 existing Smoke Control Areas. If you live in one of these areas, you can only burn authorised fuels and it is illegal to emit smoke from your chimney. More information about this can be found on our website.

We also now have a website showing real-time data from 50 air quality monitors in and around the city.

If residents do have logs stored at home, we’re asking them to check for elm logs. You can find a video on our website that shows you what to look for. If you do find any, the council will come and confirm and remove any elm logs free of charge.

Protecting our historic elm collection

Councillor Tim Rowkins, cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services said: “Brighton & Hove is very proud to hold the National Elm Collection, and our teams work hard throughout the year to stop the spread of elm disease, but we need everyone’s help.

“If people really need to use their log burners and fireplaces this winter, it’s vital they don’t buy elm logs for burning or keep them stored in their gardens and woodsheds. This can spread the disease and could mean we are forced to fell more trees.

“If we all play our part, we can improve the health of our residents and keep elms alive and flourishing in the city.”

More information

Elm bark beetles breed in the bark of cut, diseased or weakened elm trees. The disease then causes the tree to wilt and die.

Elm disease is spread by:

• fungi transferred from diseased to healthy elms by elm bark beetles,
• the disease being transferred underground between trees through the roots, or
• new trees growing from infected fragments following the removal of a diseased tree.

Earlier this year we had to remove dozens of trees near Withdean Park because of elm disease.

During the summer, we also began to use a drone to help spot trees with signs of the disease.

Where possible we plant replacement trees from more diverse species to ensure greater resilience in the future.

How you can help

If you’re concerned about an elm tree which is showing signs of Elm Disease during the summer, please contact us by emailing elmdisease@brighton-hove.gov.uk with a photo and the tree’s ‘what3words’ location so we can come and take a look.

Visits to confirm infections would typically occur during the active disease season (June to September) when symptoms can be seen.

If it’s infected, we can take immediate action to remove it and stop the disease spreading free of charge to the tree owner.

Find out more about what we do to tackle elm disease in Brighton & Hove.