Decision details

Resolved (unanimously):

That Executive

a)            Considered the consultation summary (Annex C to the report) and full comments (Annex D to the report) received in relation to the public consultation on a draft order to expand the SCA to cover the whole of CYC’s administrative area (and associated revocation of historical orders covering the existing area).

b)            Delegates authority to the Director of Environmental and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Director of Governance, to approve the making of the ‘City of York Council Smoke Control Order (2025)’ (as drafted at Annex F to the report) to come into effect on a date not less than 6 months after the date of making the order (Option A as set out in the report)

Reasons:

A York-wide SCA would:

1)   Provide a mechanism to manage both the burning of the most polluting solid fuels and the appliances in which they are burned across the whole of York, thereby protecting the health of all residents. Burning non-authorised fuels contributes to air pollution and especially PM2.5 across the city which harms public health.

2)   Ensure consistency in CYC’s approach to dealing with smoke emissions across York, including future residential areas.

3)   Ensure clear rules for burning solid fuels (which are currently different depending on the area of York and in some cases even on the same street).

4)   Complement wider air quality improvement measure being implemented by CYC and contribute to national emission reduction targets.