Most of the densely populated parts of Wirral have been declared a smoke control area. The areas covered in this are highlighted on a map of controlled areas.
It’s an offence to emit smoke from a chimney, a furnace or any fixed boiler if located in a designated smoke control area. Environmental Health can investigate complaints and offer advice about smoke nuisance from domestic or commercial bonfires and chimneys.
If your home is in this area you must:
- only burn authorised fuels, such as ‘Coalite’
- use a grate in the fireplace that’s suitable for burning smokeless fuel
- only use an exempted appliance
It’s an offence to:
- burn ordinary coal or wood (other than kindling to light a fire) in your open fireplace
- burn waste paper and wood with smokeless fuel
- emit smoke from a chimney (garden bonfires are permitted)
The current maximum level of fine is £1,000 for each offence.
Further guidance and advice on smoke control areas, is available from GOV.UK.
DEFRA produced a range of guidance leaflets with further information on open fires and wood burning stoves, smoke control areas and buying, storing and seasoning wood:
Read advice and guidance about bonfires
Roads in Wirral that are NOT in a smoke control area:
- all of Raby Mere (west of Dibbinsdale Brook)
- all of Thornton Hough
- all roads south of Brimstage Road, Spital and west of Poulton Road, Poulton
- Benty Heath Lane (to Wirral boundary)
- Brimstage Lane
- Brimstage Road (east of Heswall Hills Station and west of Clatterbridge roundabout)
- Clatterbridge Road
- Greenbank, Brimstage
- Hargrave Lane
- Keepers Lane
- Landican Lane, Storeton
- Lever Causeway
- Little Storeton Lane
- Manor Road, Thornton Hough
- Marsh Lane
- Mount Road, Clatterbridge
- Neston Road
- Parkgate Lane
- Poulton Hall Road
- Raby Hall Road
- Raby Mere Road
- Redhill Road
- Resthill Road
- Station Road, Storeton
- Talbot Avenue, Brimstage
- Thornton Common Road
- Whitehouse Lane (east of railway track)
- Willaston Road (to Wirral boundary)
- Willow Lane
- Willowbrow Road (to Wirral boundary)
Revocation of existing smoke control areas and implementation of new smoke control area
The council is in the process of revoking 26 existing Smoke Control Orders and replacing them, with one new Smoke Control Order, that covers the whole of Wirral. You can view the Revocation Order and the Proposed Order below.
Maps of the existing smoke control area boundaries and the new proposed whole borough smoke control area boundaries are available and commonly asked questions have also been provided.
- Commonly asked questions
- Map of new Smoke Control Area 2024 (PDF)
- Wirral Smoke Control Order 2024 (PDF, 495KB)
- Map of existing Smoke Control Area (PDF, 4MB)
- Draft Revocation and New Smoke Control Order Post 1980 (PDF)
The notification and objection period has now ended. Any objections received will be reported to the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure committee in January 2025 for consideration.