Burnley Smoke Control Area Public Engagement Survey 2026

Section 1: Introduction

Whilst air quality in Burnley has improved significantly in recent decades, there are some areas where local action is needed to protect people and the environment from the effects of air pollution. Burnley Borough Council is committed to improving air quality further, and continues to engage with key stakeholders to facilitate this.

Currently, most of Burnley Borough is covered by Smoke Control Orders, however there are some areas of new development outside the Smoke Control Area. These areas were not included when the orders were made in the 1960’s and 1970’s as at the time they were less densely populated. As residential developments have increased, wood burning stoves have become more prevalent in these areas.

A Smoke Control Area (SCA) is a designated zone where:

You cannot release smoke from a chimney
You can only burn authorised fuel, unless you use an appliance approved by Defra (also known as an ‘exempt appliance’ or ‘Defra approved appliance’)

Exposure to smoke and air pollution can lead to serious health issues, including asthma, heart disease, and lung conditions. Children, older adults, and people with existing health conditions are especially vulnerable.

A review of Burnley’s existing Smoke Control Areas was undertaken in 2024, and agreement was reached to consolidate the areas and include the full Borough within the scope of a single SCA. Extending the SCA to cover the whole Borough will help give a consistent message to all residents and will enable effective enforcement where necessary and in turn positively impact public health. The purpose of this online consultation survey is to enable Burnley Borough Council to communicate these changes and gather local views on the proposal to expand the SCA, identifying any concerns or gaps in education and addressing them where possible.

To support this survey, Burnley Borough Council have prepared a short video. To learn more about air quality in Burnley and why expansion of the existing Smoke Control Area coverage is being proposed, click here to watch it on YouTube. We recommend viewing the video prior to answering this survey, but it is not compulsory.

The survey is open to anyone who lives, works, studies, or visits the area. Your views will help shape decisions about whether a Smoke Control Area is suitable for your community.

This survey is estimated to take 15 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation.

All responses will be treated in accordance with data protection regulations. For full details on how your information will be used and protected, please refer to Burnley Borough Council’s Privacy Notice.