The legislation on wood fires

[Marilynmansonsothereye]

Does anyone know anything about this? I know someone has one (open fire in sitting room, they heat by burning wood in it) but they've also told me they aren't meant to have one because It's banned in their area. I tried searching Google but it didn't seem clear.

Your friend could be living in a smoke control area so they'd need to burn smokeless fuel.
Not sure the rules on open fires but I know that if you were fitting a wood burner you'd need a defra exempt/defra approved stove in smoke control areas.

Agreed, smoke free zone - the whole of Greater London is a smoke free zone. We burn smokeless coal. You can get special wood burners that you can use In smokeless zones.

Okay. For environmental issues I assume? Who would deal with this?police, the council?

www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules

Thank you both for replying :)

Local council should deal with it, are you planning on reporting them?

No morrisey i feel it isn't really my business? But if i have a bit more knowledge I can maybe encourage them to rethink having the fire.

The fire itself is fine but they'll need to burn appropriate smokeless fuel

they should at least have a wood burning stove - around 80% efficient instead of 20% or less for an open fire.

At least it's not sea coal. They burn it round here, and even before you smell it your lungs try and turn inside out.

They might not realise - people think its a throwback to the 50s and 60s and not relevant now but it is. My friend has an open fire and had no idea London was a smokeless zone until I told her.

Check the address on the Council planning portal. It tells you if any house has limitations on it.