The council has formally proposed one smoke control area for the whole urban city, Hove included for the first time. Objections close 26 November 2026.

The whole of urban Brighton & Hove is set to become a single smoke control area, and you have until 26 November to object. The council published formal notice of the Brighton & Hove City Council Smoke Control Order 2026 on 15 October (council notice).

The biggest change is in Hove. The city has five smoke control areas today, covering much of Hanover, Lewes Road, Bevendean and the city centre. The council’s own guidance says: “There are no Smoke Control Areas in Hove” (council, smoke control areas).

Under the new order, the rules would apply across Hove, Portslade and the rest of the built-up city. The order also covers boats moored in Brighton Marina or docked at wharfs.

What the notice says

The notice makes two separate moves:

  • A new order, proposed. It would declare “the whole urban administrative area of the Council a smoke control area”, with “specified exemptions”. The notice does not list those exemptions.
  • The old orders, revoked. The council has already made a revocation order scrapping the five existing areas. The Secretary of State confirmed it on 22 September 2026. It comes into effect “not earlier than 6 months after confirmation”, so not before late March 2027.

The notice does not give a start date for the new citywide order. The paper copies of the order, the revocation order and the map can be inspected for six weeks at Brighton Town Hall, Hove Town Hall and council libraries. The notice was also printed in the Argus on 15 October (Public Notice Portal).

Where it would apply

Cabinet chose the boundary on 14 May 2026. The area is the “built-up urban area”, meaning the City Plan Part One area plus the urban fringe (Cabinet report, 14 May 2026).

The South Downs National Park part of the city is left out. The report says it makes up 44% of the council’s land but holds less than 1% of its homes. More than 99% of the city’s homes and businesses are inside the urban area, so almost every household is covered.

Why the council wants it

The report says Brighton and Hove “have one of the highest densities of wood-burning stoves in the country”. Fine particle pollution, known as PM2.5, rises sharply in winter, and the council blames home burning:

  • winter PM2.5 is on average 91% higher during the five-month heating season than the rest of the year
  • domestic solid fuel burning is “the dominant local source” in winter
  • between 93% and 99% of local households already have gas or electric central heating, so most stoves are a second heat source

The council says air pollution “has a strong influence on 170 early deaths that occur each year” in the city (council, health risks of solid fuel burning). We reported last year’s monitoring results in August: Brighton’s air quality in 2025.

What residents said

The council consulted from 19 January to 1 March 2026, online and at ten library drop-ins. The report gives three headline figures.

Bar chart of the council's 2026 smoke control consultation: 48% of respondents agreed with expanding smoke control, 29% favoured keeping the current five areas and 21% wanted no smoke control areas at all.
Chart by The Brighton Times. Source: Brighton & Hove City Council Cabinet report, 14 May 2026.
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  • 48% agreed with expansion, either to the city boundary or across the urban area
  • 29% wanted to keep the current five areas
  • 21% wanted no smoke control areas at all

The report lists the main concerns as whether enforcement would be proportionate and the effect on fuel poverty. It promises a “graduated” approach to enforcement. It budgets £6,000 for publicity this autumn and about £2,000 a winter for enforcement, paid from a £48,694 government grant.

What it means for you

If you live in Hove, Portslade or anywhere in the urban city outside today’s five areas, and you have a wood burner or open fire, this is what changes once the order is in force. The national rules for smoke control areas are (GOV.UK, smoke control area rules):

  • you cannot let smoke out of a chimney
  • you can only burn authorised fuel, unless your stove is a Defra approved (“exempt”) appliance
  • wood can only be burned in an exempt appliance, and only the fuel its manufacturer allows
  • the penalty for chimney smoke in England is up to £300
  • buying unauthorised fuel for a stove that is not Defra approved can bring a fine of up to £1,000

Outdoor barbecues, chimineas, pizza ovens and garden bonfires are not covered by smoke control rules. Bonfires can still be dealt with as a nuisance.

To object or comment, write to the council’s Environmental Protection Team at Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Hove BN3 3BQ, or email EHL.EnvironmentalProtection@brighton-hove.gov.uk. The deadline is 26 November 2026.

If you are buying a stove this winter, check it is on Defra’s exempt appliance list before you pay. The council’s report warns that stoves installed now may stay in use “well beyond 2040”.

Sources