Hackney is a designated Smoke Control Area
In most cases, it’s an offence to release dark smoke from a chimney or a fixed boiler anywhere in Hackney. View the full legislation, including exemptions.
Hackney is a Smoke Control Area. In a Smoke Control Area, you can only burn fuel from the list of authorised fuels, unless you’re using a DEFRA approved exempt appliance, such as some boilers, cookers and stoves. You must only use the types of fuel that the manufacturer says you can use in the appliance.
There used to be 27 separate smoke control orders in Hackney. In 2025, we merged these orders into one, which covers all of Hackney.
The new smoke control order comes into effect on 1 December 2025. It applies to all properties on land.
Rebuilding greener canals
Canals are beautiful green spaces used by lots of residents for walking, cycling and recreational activities. While boats are not a major contributor to overall urban air pollution, fumes from boat engines and stoves can still have impacts on air quality and the effects can be significant in the immediate area.
We are working with Newham Council, Tower Hamlets Council and the Canal & River Trust to help support boaters to reduce harmful emissions and to rebuild cleaner and greener canals for everyone.
If you live in a canal boat, read our flyer on how you can reduce pollution.
Find out more about improving air quality on local waterways.
Bonfires and barbeques
Barbeques in Hackney’s Parks
Barbequing is not permitted in any of Hackney’s parks or green spaces. This is because barbeques are a fire hazard, damage the grass and can worsen air pollution.
A monitoring study on barbeques in London Fields found that the majority of times when there was a significant amount of barbequing, PM10 concentrations would reach ‘very high’ on the daily air quality index (DAQI) in the area.
Gardens
Outdoor barbecues and other garden furniture such as chimineas, firepits or pizza ovens are not covered by the regulations on smoke control areas. However, the smoke that is generated may be considered a statutory nuisance if found to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
Ways to reduce air pollution from barbeques:
- use gas-powered barbeques instead of charcoal. Using gas instead of charcoal will reduce particulate emissions
- pre-cook food, especially meat before placing it on the barbeque. This reduces the fat content of food which, when released on a barbeque, can create smoke
- consider the location of the barbeque in relation to the wind direction and closest neighbours. Placing the barbeque out of the prevailing wind direction and away from neighbours reduces the risk of smoke travelling towards others who may find it a nuisance.
Garden bonfires are permitted but you must follow the garden bonfire rules. Household waste should never be burned on a bonfire. Find more details about recycling and waste collection in Hackney.
How can I reduce the impact of burning solid fuel (wood or coal) at home?
Burning wood is no longer a necessity for warming our houses, it’s a luxury that contributes to harmful air pollution. The best solution is to give up burning altogether.
Can you burn less?
Is it necessary to light your fire? Burning less is the easiest way to reduce the impact on air quality and may save money too.
We strongly advise giving up wood burning at home and not lighting your fire at all during medium and high levels of pollution. Sign up to a pollution alert service. We also send out Twitter alerts via @hackneycouncil.
If you’re interested in reducing your emissions produced by your wood-burning stove and would like to find out more, sign up to Zero Emissions Network for free advice and support.
If you have to light a fire at home, burn the least harmful wood
When buying wood look for the ready to burn logo as a guarantee of good quality dry wood.
This will burn more efficiently than unseasoned, green wood and reduce environmental impact.
Don’t burn wet wood
Freshly cut wood, often sold in nets, has a high moisture content that creates much more particulate pollution.
This wood needs to be seasoned (dried for 2 years) before burning.
If you burn house coal, choose approved smokeless fuel instead
Smokeless fuels produce less carbon and particulate matter and are more efficient, so they cost you less to heat your home.
Don't burn treated wood (eg old furniture) or household rubbish
Treated wood, like old furniture, can emit harmful fumes and household rubbish may include plastics that can release toxic pollutants, such as arsenic, into your home when burned.
Maintain your stove and service it every year
A well-maintained stove will work more efficiently and means you will need to burn less fuel.
Get your chimney swept regularly (up to twice a year)
Particles of soot build up in your chimney over time and reduce the efficiency of your fire.
Contact an approved chimney sweep for further advice.
Consider a wood burning stove
Wood burning stoves burn much more efficiently than open fires and they produce less particulate pollution.
There are Defra approved standards for stoves (Ecodesign Ready Stove) so check with your manufacturer before purchasing. Remember, it is an offence to use a non-exempt stove in your home unless authorised fuel is used.
When using a stove, make sure you are burning at the optimum temperature. Burnright‘s Getting It Right video shows you how to get the most out of your stove.
How can I reduce the impact of burning fuel as part of my business?
If you burn charcoal to cook food, buy approved charcoal
Hackney is a designated smoke control area, so it’s an offence to use charcoal grills inside restaurants without using approved solid fuels.
It’s important to make sure the fuel is suitable for use in a smoke control area.
Search ‘charcoal’ on Defra’s website for a list of their authorised charcoal fuel brands you can use in smoke control areas.
Make sure that your appliances, filters and ventilation systems are maintained and cleaned
It’s essential to clean appliance filters regularly to make sure particulate matter from cooking and burning solid fuel doesn’t get released into the outside environment. It’s best to remove grease from the canopy and to also clean the vent outside.
Eliminating grease and carbon build-up reduces fire risk, plus a regularly cleaned canopy will last longer and is cheaper to maintain. Efficient canopies also stop the build up of smoke in the ventilation system, preventing smoke from overflowing, which is healthier for restaurant staff.
The minimal requirements or specifications for the air cleaning system involved are:
- daily or weekly cleaning of the canopy in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendation – with soap and warm water
- running the filters through a pot wash – at least weekly
- regularly cleaning the outlet vent at the final discharge point
Consider switching to gas or electric grills
Appliances that burn gas from the mains supply are permitted in smoke control areas. Electric chargrills are also allowed.
There are several benefits of using gas or electric instead of charcoal:
- it’s easier to clean, so there’s less time spent cleaning
- it reaches cooking temperature quicker and it’s easier to maintain a consistent temperature
- it’s simple to turn and off, so reduces the risk of sparks or hot debris
See Hackney’s air quality action plan for more details on how we are improving air quality across the borough.
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