English councils received more than 5,600 complaints in a year about smoke in smoke control areas but issued just four fines, new data has revealed.
Within the designated zones, local authorities can fine people £300 for a chimney emitting smoke and £1,000 for buying unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that has not been approved by the Government.
But Freedom of Information requests by campaign group Mums for Lungs found that just four councils issued fines between September 2023 and August 2024.
Birmingham City Council took no enforcement action at all, despite receiving 783 complaints. Manchester City Council received 213 complaints, issued just seven warning letters and carried out two inspections.
According to environmental charity Global Action Plan, councils lack the resources and the real power to manage the issue, with domestic burning now the biggest source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in the UK.
The tiny particles, small enough to enter the human lung, have been linked to deaths from heart and lung disease, respiratory infections, and cancers, with children and the elderly more susceptible to the health impacts.
In a social media post, Mums for Lungs said: ‘We need to make sure councils are given the tools and resources to protect children from toxic pollution, not just ask them to talk about the risks.
‘The current system is not fit for purpose – we need change.’
