A council in west London is contemplating the introduction of a byelaw to prohibit garden bonfires in an effort to diminish pollution levels.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s initiative would ban the incineration of household or garden refuse outdoors, while exempting barbecues, backyard fire pits, and indoor wood-burning stoves, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Public Health England indicated that in 2023, the mortality rate attributed to particulate air pollution in Hammersmith and Fulham was one percent higher than the national average.

Establishing a new byelaw can take as long as six months and involves a public consultation process, with the draft needing approval from the Secretary of State.

Particulate pollution (PM) comprises a combination of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air, which can originate from natural sources or human activities.

The council is required to conduct assessments related to the borough’s emissions from domestic wood burning and evaluate the health impacts of outdoor fires.

According to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils must respond to smoke complaints if they are deemed a “statutory nuisance,” which may result in an abatement notice mandating cessation or reduction of the issue.

However, Hammersmith and Fulham Council argues that this legislation is “reactive”—it only addresses complaints and does not implement an outright ban on burning, hence the necessity for the proposed byelaw.

A council report stated, “Outdoor fires and wood burning produce harmful particulate matter emissions, for which there is considered to be no safe threshold.”

It further noted that “short-term exposure to elevated levels of particulate matter can trigger asthma attacks and contribute to a range of other chronic health issues.”

The byelaw is expected to provide “climate adaptation and resilience advantages,” reducing the likelihood of fires getting “out of control” during hotter, dryer conditions, the report concluded.