Pollution control – Clean Air Act Approval

The local authority controls and determines the height of a chimney. An application for chimney height approval must contain adequate information to enable the necessary calculations to be carried out.

 

To use non-domestic furnace abatement plant and chimneys associated with the furnaces, approval from the Council must be obtained beforehand.

 

Under Section 6 of the Clean Air Act 1993, every furnace (except domestic furnaces) must be installed with a grit-and-dust arrestment plant that has been approved by the council. Under Section 14 of the same Act, the council must also approve the chimney height of furnaces in its area (excluding domestic furnaces).

 

It is an offence under Sections 6 and 14 to operate a furnace without the necessary approval.

 

This legislation only applies to furnaces that are used to:
Burn pulverised fuel;
Burn solid matter at a rate of 45.4 kilogrammes or more an hour; or
Burn liquid or gas at a rate equivalent to 366.4 kilowatts or more.

 

Under Section 7 of the Act, the council can exempt a specific furnace installation, provided that the furnace will not be a health hazard or a nuisance. The Secretary of State also has the power to exempt certain classes of furnace.