Next steps for tackling solid fuel burning in the city

Councillors are due to discuss the next steps for tackling the harmful burning of solid fuels in Brighton & Hove.

Members of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider data collected from the city’s new real-time air quality sensor network since 2024, including last winter. 

The sensors record levels of a range of pollutants, including fine particles, known as PM2.5, which have been shown to have significant impacts on health, including increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and lung disease.

A big contributor of PM2.5, indoors and outdoors, is the burning of wood and coal in open fires and log burners. These have increased in popularity in recent years, leading to high levels of pollution in densely populated areas of the city.

The launch of the new sensor network was followed by a campaign which highlighted the dangers of solid fuel burning, a contributing factor to 1 in 20 deaths in people over the age of 30 in Brighton & Hove. Research also suggests particulate pollution has a greater impact on women and girls.

Sensor data showed that, between November 2025 and March 2026, most parts of the city recorded at least 40 days where average PM2.5 levels were above those recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The 5-month average levels of PM2.5 during the winter heating season is also consistently well above the 12-month average.

More information can be found in the report.

Our work so far

The air quality sensor network was launched last October and gives residents the ability to see air quality levels in real time or look at previous data.

Fifty sensors placed in various locations across Sussex, including 40 in Brighton & Hove, measure nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulate matter as well as providing ambient measurements for temperature, pressure and relative humidity.

The network launch was followed by the Cosy Killer publicity campaign, which was used to highlight the health dangers of burning solid fuels pose both inside and outside the home.

We have also used DEFRA funding for proactive Trading Standards work, visiting businesses and solid fuel sellers across the city and to support the Environmental Protection team to deal with smoke nuisance complaints.

Options for improving the city’s air quality

The Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee can only provide recommendations to Cabinet, with any decisions made at a later date by Cabinet. One of the options the committee will consider next week is the expansion of the city’s Smoke Control Areas (SCAs), where visible smoke from a building chimney is an offence.

For persistent cases the council has powers to issue warning notices and a fine of up to £300. However, in 2024/25 the approach has been to educate and inform rather than issue fines.

Brighton & Hove currently has 5 SCAs covering much of Hanover, Lewes Road, Bevendean and the city centre. These were introduced by Brighton Council in the 70s, but there are no such areas in Hove.

Many other cities have city-wide or extensive SCA areas, including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Bradford and Bristol.

Read more about how we manage air quality in Brighton & Hove.