Cabinet to consider new measures to improve air quality

Councillors will next week discuss measures designed to improve the quality of the air we breathe and reduce harmful particle pollution in Brighton & Hove.

Cabinet members will meet to consider the creation of a single Smoke Control Area (SCA) to reduce our exposure to fine particles, known as PM2.5, emitted from the burning of solid fuels.

Brighton & Hove has one of the highest density of households using wood burners and open fires in buildings, a major contributor of PM2.5 – fine particles (more than 20 times thinner than a human hair). Once inhaled, the particles can enter the bloodstream and be transported around the body.

They’ve been shown to have significant impacts on health, including increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and lung disease and are a contributor to 1 in 20 deaths of people over the age of 30.

Local monitoring sensors show levels of PM2.5 are 91% higher during the heating season than the rest of the year. It also showed that, between November 2024 and March 2025, 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).

More information

If approved, the new SCA would cover the built-up urban area within the council’s Local Planning Authority boundary and replace the current 5 smaller SCAs, first created in the 1970s, which only cover the Hanover, Lewes Road, Bevendean and city centre areas.

A Smoke Control Area is not a ban on wood burners, but it does restrict what can be burned and how. Only DEFRA approved fuels are allowed in to be burned in an approved appliance within an SCA.

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

Read more in the report going to Cabinet on Thursday 14 May.

Protecting the health of our residents

Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Environmental Services and Net Zero, said: “Since launching our city-wide air quality monitoring network in 2024, we have gathered clear and extensive data that shows the impact of burning solid fuels on air quality right across the city.

“The impacts of particulate pollution on public health are well-documented, and we have a duty to act. The health impacts fall disproportionately on vulnerable groups including young children, older residents and those with existing health conditions and expanding our Smoke Control Area would be a big step in helping to prevent the damage being caused

“We know that, for most who have them, wood burners and open fires are a luxury and not the primary source of heating their homes. It’s important we act to limit their use and protect our residents from the harmful effects of PM2.5.

“We of course encourage residents to refrain from burning solid fuels, but bringing in a SCA across the city will enable us to provide clear guidance on what can be used and how.”