Report a smoke problem

We can investigate complaints about smoke from premises that could be a statutory nuisance.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows us to take action against smoke problems that do one of the following:

• unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of your home or other premises
• injure health or be likely to injure health

This can include smoke from chimneys, wood burning stoves and industrial premises.

How we assess a smoke complaint

We decide whether complaints are a statutory nuisance by considering:

• the amount of smoke
• how often it happens and for how long
• how unreasonable the activity is (for example, smoke from an everyday activity like cooking is unlikely to be a statutory nuisance)

Smoke coming from a business or industrial premise

It is an offence to emit dark smoke from industrial or trade premises. This includes any premises being used for a trade such as a house where work is being done. 

Businesses are not allowed to burn any commercial waste and must dispose of waste legally.

What happens next

When you make a complaint, we will contact the person or business responsible to investigate the problem.

You will be asked to fill in daily record sheets to show the strength, frequency and duration of the smoke. We will then decide if the smoke is a statutory nuisance.

We will also check what measures are already in place to control the smoke, and advise the owner on any action they should take.