In relation to air quality the monitoring of air pollution by local authorities on behalf of the UK government is seen as an essential service due to the respiratory impacts of Covid 19. As such the Council continues to monitor air quality at a number of air monitoring stations across the Council area and latest information from these can be seen at www.airqualityni.co.uk
Unfortunately it is not possible to monitor air quality at all locations but via the aforementioned website you can receive high air pollution alerts free to your mobile phone to let you know when air pollution levels are high. To subscribe to the 'Air Aware' service , text AIR to 67300 .
The Council also has a number of smoke control areas in operation and these are located in Strabane Town, Newtownstewart and Castlederg.
Under the Clean Air Act local authorities may declare the whole or part of the district of the authority to be a Smoke Control Area. It is an offence to emit smoke from a chimney of a building, from a furnace or from any fixed boiler if located in a designated Smoke Control Area. It is also an offence to acquire an ‘unauthorised fuel’ for use within a Smoke Control Area unless it is used in an ‘exempt’ appliance (‘exempted’ from the controls which generally apply in the Smoke Control Area). These appliances are generally referred to as ‘DEFRA Approved’ or ‘Smoke Exempt’ and must be operated at all times in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, which have also been scrutinised during the authorisation process.
Smoke Control Areas, or Smoke Control Zones as they are sometimes referred to, have been designated by local authorities in many towns and cities in the UK, including virtually all of London, Manchester and Belfast. The North West, Midlands, South Yorkshire and North East of England as well as Central and Southern Scotland, all have large designated Smoke Control Areas.
If you live in a Smoke Control Area you must only burn ‘authorised’ smokeless fuels. In such areas burning wood is only ‘authorised’ if you burn it in a Smoke Exempt stove. Even when using a Smoke Exempt stove, you will still be breaking the law if you use wet or unseasoned wood which causes excessive or nuisance smoke.
To find out if your property is in a Smoke Control Area, click HERE
Our leaflet on Smoke Control Areas can be viewed HERE
Useful Links
Details of air monitoring sites and air quality reports undertaken by Derry City and Strabane District Council can be found here.
Contact Details
For further information contact Environment and Neighbourhoods Team on
Tel: 02871 253253