York extends smoke control area to whole city from 1 November

The whole of York becomes a smoke control area from Sunday 1 November 2026, bringing the roughly 20% of households outside the existing zones under the same rules on stoves and fuel, HETAS said.

City of York Council announced the citywide smoke control area on Tuesday 27 October 2026. The council said around 80 per cent of York households are already covered by a smoke control area, and that the new designation will cover the whole City of York Council area.

HETAS said the council had explicitly stated the change is not a ban on wood burning. The aim, HETAS said, is to cut PM2.5 emissions in the city by encouraging the use of modern, exempt appliances and dry fuel.

Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, said: "From 1 November, the same smoke control rules will apply across the whole of York."

The rules

The council said prolonged smoke from chimneys attached to buildings will not be allowed for more than 15 minutes after a fire is first lit. Its smoke control page says it will become illegal to emit prolonged smoke from a chimney anywhere in York under the new rules.

Using wet wood or unapproved fuels, such as treated waste wood, will be prohibited across the city, the council said. Owners of multi-fuel stoves with ash pans or grates should switch to authorised smokeless fuel only, according to the council's guidance.

HETAS said wood is an unauthorised fuel in a smoke control area and can only be burned in a Defra-exempt appliance, while open fires must use authorised smokeless fuel. It advised owners of older, non-exempt stoves to speak to a HETAS Registered Installer about their options.

Both HETAS and the council said the rules do not apply to outdoor barbecues, chimineas, garden fire pits or bonfires, which HETAS said are covered by separate legislation.

Enforcement and penalties

The council said in February that enforcement would focus on education first, with penalties only as a last resort. HETAS said people who repeatedly break the rules after being given advice could face a fine of up to £300.

GOV.UK's guidance on smoke control areas says that in England a penalty of up to £300 may apply if a chimney releases smoke in a smoke control area. It adds that buying unauthorised fuel for use in an appliance not approved by Defra can attract a fine of up to £1,000, a penalty that neither the HETAS page nor the council's releases mention.

The public health case

In its 24 February 2026 release, the council said exposure to PM2.5 in the city is estimated to contribute to the equivalent of one in every 23 deaths.

In the same release, Kent said: "This is not about banning stoves or open fires, it is about burning the right fuels in the right way".

The expansion was put to the council's Executive at its meeting on Tuesday 3 March 2026. The council said at the time that the changes would come into effect no sooner than six months from the date of the order, to give residents time to prepare.

The council's 1 June 2026 air quality release listed approval to extend the smoke control area across the entire city from 1 November 2026 among its actions. The same release said York had met national air pollution targets for the second consecutive year.

Wider picture for installers

HETAS said Oxford, Reading, Hackney and Brighton & Hove have already moved to citywide smoke control areas, and Norwich has proposed one.

For householders considering an upgrade, HETAS said stoves carrying the Cleaner Choice mark produce at least 50% less particulate emissions than smoke control area limits. It also advised stove owners to burn dry fuel, follow the manufacturer's instructions and have their chimney swept once a year by a HETAS Approved Chimney Sweep.

The council said support is available to residents through York Energy Advice, YorEnergy and its Home Energy Efficiency Team, and that information leaflets are available in libraries across the city.

The citywide rules take effect on 1 November 2026.