The Environment Act 2021, which became law on 9th November, will remove the partial exemption for boats from the Clean Air Act 1993. Local authorities will now have the power to apply their Smoke Control Areas to boats moored within the areas, under Section 73 and Schedule 12 of the Act.
CRT has been asked to provide contact information for boat owners to local authorities where they need it to enforce Smoke Control Areas. There is an exemption for smoke which is created to propel the vessel or to generate electricity. There is no exemption for heating. Local authorities can now impose fines of at least £175 for breaches of Smoke Control regulations.
We understand that the use of the power to bring inland waterway boats into the ambit of Smoke Control Areas will be subject to public consultation by local authorities. There are significant barriers that prevent liveaboard boaters from taking part in local consultations when they may only be resident in a local authority area for a short time.
We suggest that all boaters carry at least one bag of smokeless fuel if you don’t already use it, in case you unexpectedly find that you are moored in a Smoke Control Area. You can still use your existing stove.
In some Smoke Control Areas, the use of a small quantity of clean dry kindling to start a fire is allowed, but after this, only “approved fuel” can be used. Smokeless fuels are approved by DEFRA. Wood, timber or logs cannot be used for heating in a Smoke Control Area unless you use a DEFRA-certified stove (also known as an exempted appliance), and only burn good quality, dry wood. Non-exempted appliance users can only burn approved solid fuels. See https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules
There are lists of DEFRA-approved smokeless fuels and DEFRA-approved stoves here https://smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk/index.php
The percentage of boaters and the proportion of emissions they cause compared to the general population are minimal given their relative numbers. However, there is a danger that this will be used as a tool to remove boats from areas where the local authorities are opposed to boat dwellers, or where local residents are hostile to liveaboard boaters.
There are no Smoke Control Areas in Wiltshire or West Berkshire. There are Smoke Control Areas in Bath, Bristol and Reading.
The whole of Bristol is in a Smoke Control Area. Around 62% of Reading is in a Smoke Control Area.
The Environment Act 2021 is online here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/contents/enacted
Tags: Bath, Bristol, continuous cruising, DEFRA, Environment Act 2021, liveaboards, Reading, smoke control, smokeless fuel, stoves, West Berkshire, Wiltshire
Richard Parry’s pay rise? CRT is constantly moaning about how there are too many boats on the K&A. So they don’t want to get more income from boaters. Most of CRT’s income is from property development.
Shame you wouldn’t publish my comment supporting the application of the SCA to canal boats. Why not ? It’s ironic, given the growing awareness of the health damage caused by wood burning stoves, and the high exposure most boaters must have to it. If you want to respond privately to my email to explain why you opted not , feel free, i’m interested. Best wishes.
Several things things strike me.
1. is your aggressive and confrontational tone. I don’t have an issue with this as it’s a way of kick starting debate but when put together with…
2. your assumption that we have nothing better to do than deal with and respond to your comments on an informational blog, comes across as a bit off especially as…
3. you conceal your identity.
I suggest you take this debate to Facebook, maybe linking to both our post and the actual source information, I am sure you will find people ready there to take on your kind offer of an argument (I get the feeling it’s the three day rather than just the ‘full half hour’)
As to whether your comment is published I’ll leave it until the author and editor of the post has time to consider it. I’d rather get exercised by the pollution created by road traffic than a relatively few boat dwellers who offend your privilege. Perhaps I might suggest some research and reflection on the environmental impact of your lifestyle rather than casting judgement on others, especially those that, in general, tread lightly on the planet.
Chris
I’m sorry if you think it was aggresive. It’s actually exasperation.
” I’d rather get exercised by the pollution created by road traffic than a relatively few boat dwellers” – but you should also know that the particulates output by most stoves on canal boats are hundreds of times higher than that produced by a diesel truck. The latter are subject to strict rules regarding efficiency, fuels and output, which no one up to now has thought to apply to boats. And in Bath and surrounds there is a high concentration of boats. Bumper to bumper. I suspect that most burn wet wood. Well it’s cheap isn’t it ? It’s a problem.
I don’t wish to criminalise boat-dwellers. But where the CRT see fit to cram in as many boats as they can so the chief exec can get his fat bonus without due regard for the environmental consequences then that ain’t right and the SCA gives a means to clean up the air at least in residential areas.
Go and walk by some canals in other parts of the country where there are a fraction of the number of boats and see how pleasant it can be.
Burn as much damp wood as you like outside of town.
That’s it, I will not bother you or your website again.
” but you should also know that the particulates output by most stoves on canal boats are hundreds of times higher than that produced by a diesel truck”
From bathnes.gov.uk “There are around 9,000 light and heavy goods vehicles entering and/or leaving Bath per day.”
So, your point is?
“I suspect that most burn wet wood. ”
You are so blind in your prejudice you have no idea how wrong you are.
“I don’t wish to criminalise boat-dwellers. ”
Really? but then you go on to say…
” But where the CRT see fit to cram in as many boats as they can so the chief exec can get his fat bonus without due regard for the environmental consequences then that ain’t right and the SCA gives a means to clean up the air at least in residential areas.”
I’m sorry but you are simply spouting the same old tired and worn, ignorant bigotry that I’ve heard since I started living on the canals over 30 years ago. It’s tedious and it furthers the discussion not one whit. Not to mention, again, wrong, unless you can point me at your evidence for the statement that the CEO of CRT gets a bonus based on boat count.
” That’s it, I will not bother you or your website again. ”
Thank you.
Chris
Between 2015 and 2021, from documents freely available on the web, the CEO took his pay up, approximately, from £195K to £235K. He doesn’t get that kind of pay rise from thin air. He needs to grow his revenue stream. Next highest paid employee , from £185K up to £225K.
About time. I’m a land-lubber by the canal. In cold weather, here in the city , the air is a fug a wood smoke, most of it foraged, damp , and sat top of the boat to gather more moisture. It is disgusrting and bearing in mind that these stoves churn out 250 times the particulate of a diesel engine , they aren’t welcome. I don’t want them to be criminalised, but if they want to burn crappy wood on inefficient stoves, they should be excluded from densely populated residential areas.
A bit of the same old, same old from someone who doesn’t even have the bottle to leave his name…