Wood burner and open fire rules come into force

The use of fuel or appliances not approved by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is now banned in Reading and Oxford.

For both areas, fines of up to £300 could be issued to those breaching the regulations.

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Both Reading Borough Council and Oxford City Council said the rules were designed to protect the public from microscopic particles that could cause serious health conditions.

In both locations, there will be exceptions for Defra-approved appliances and government-approved fuels. Outdoor barbecues, chimeneas, garden fireplaces or pizza ovens are also allowed as long as they do not release smoke through the chimney of a building.

Oxford City Council said there was an exemption for moored vessels, including canal boats.

In Reading, the scheme replaced the 21 existing smoke control areas (SCAs) that already covered about 62 per cent  of the town.

A public consultation on creating a borough-wide SCA was conducted in autumn 2023 and Defra approved the scheme in July.

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In Oxford, the rules replaced 23 previous SCAs, which covered just under half of the city.

The council's application to expand Oxford's SCA was approved by the government in May.

Councillor Anna Railton, deputy leader of Oxford City Council, said: "Particulate air pollution is a growing health concern, and we have been using a patchwork approach up to now.

"This expansion will bring the whole city under one single Smoke Control Area. This will help us to protect everyone from indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution and simplify the rules for residents.”