Air Quality Management Areas and Smoke Control Areas

Air Quality Management Areas - local council controls

Local councils monitor air quality. If air quality fails to meet the required standards, they must declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and set out a plan for making improvements.

If your business is in an AQMA, you could be affected by:

• the introduction of road charging
• parking restraints
• increased restrictions on waiting and loading times
• taxes to encourage moving freight by rail rather than road
• the review of planning applications by a pollution control team.

Find out whether your business is in an AQMA: 

• Northern Ireland Air, DAERA: Air quality management areas
•  Air Quality in Scotland: Air pollution levels and forecasts

If you are in an AQMA, you can contact your local council to find out details about measures in place.

Smoke Control Areas - local council controls

Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) are zones with restrictions on the release of smoke from their chimneys. In SCAs it is not allowed the release of smoke from a chimney, unless:

• the fuel you burn is anthracite, semi-anthracite, gas, low volatile steam coal, or a fuel from the list of authorised fuels for your nation; or
• you use an appliance (such as a boiler, cooker or stove) that is exempt, with a fuel approved for that appliance. The exempted appliances and their fuels are listed for each nation.

Except for these cases, in SCAs the emission of any smoke from a chimney, at any time, is an offence. You could be fined up to £1,000 if you break these rules.

Find out if you are in a SCA:

• In Northern Ireland, DAERA: Air Quality Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland’s Smoke Control Areas
• In Scotland, contact the environmental services department of your local council

If you are a contractor and work at different locations you should check with the local council in each of these locations about their Smoke Control Areas.

Find out which fuels and exempted appliances you are allowed to use in SCAs in Northern Ireland:

• DEFRA: List of approved fuels to burn in Smoke Control Areas in Northern Ireland
• DEFRA: List of exempt appliances and fuels they may burn in Smoke Control Areas in Northern Ireland

Find out which fuels and exempted appliances you are allowed to use in SCAs in Scotland:

• Scottish Air Quality: Smoke Control Areas guidance and list of approved fuels to burn in Smoke Control Areas in Scotland   
• DEFRA: List of exempt appliances and fuels they may burn in Smoke Control Areas in Scotland

In this guideline

Causes and effects of air pollution

Business benefits of improving air quality

What you must do to prevent air pollution

Improve air quality: prevent dark smoke

Boilers and furnaces: environmental authorisations

Boilers and furnaces - chimney height requirements

Burning waste controls

Smoke control areas

Protecting neighbours from air pollution

Measuring and monitoring to reduce air pollution

Air Pollution environmental legislation