Local authorities across the country are being pushed to take measures to reduce air pollution, in particular the particulates emitted through burning of various fuels. One measure being considered in places is the extension of Smoke Control Areas to cover waterways, using powers granted to local authorities by the Environment Act 2021 to extend Smoke Control Areas to moored boats. This will enable local authorities to enforce the use of smokeless fuels and/or DEFRA-approved stoves on boats in those zones. The present Smoke Control Areas avoided waterways because it was recognised that it would discriminate against a way of life, but our way of life would now seem fair game. There is no evidence that boats are anything more than a minor source of these emissions, and as low emissions zones roll out nationwide encouraging petrol cars and massive Chelsea tractors, it seems that yet again, boaters are an easy target. Be absolutely clear, these measures are not climate measures, indeed if they were, they would be proved counterproductive.
Few of our boats are kitted out with DEFRA-approved stoves, which of course carry a premium price, and don’t come with a power output of under 4.5kw, which would require many boats to open all windows and doors to keep cool whilst the stove is in use. The DEFRA requirement for stoves is that they can’t be shut down to bed in for the night. Very simple, but retrofits are not considered compliant, and compliance criteria did not consider wood burners as a primary source of heat, only as an additional source. The alternatives left to us are to use any of the fuel sold on fuel boats (ie fossil fuel-based smokeless fuels) in current stoves, or in DEFRA approved stoves only, kiln dried wood. This is despite tests clearly showing kiln dried wood is no better than air-dried, and despite the massive carbon release at the drying stage and again at transport from the main source in the Baltic countries. Unless buying firewood however, we need to factor in that fully air drying wood takes two or more years, a feat not generally achievable on a boat. One more alternative is to convert to diesel heating, inflicting carbon and particulate emissions, but this appears to be compliant with Smoke Control Areas.
Policing of these Smoke Control Areas will necessarily be problematic and expensive, so it is quite conceivable that local authorities might see the extensions as lip service to government policy only, but let’s not bank on that!
Of course, we would encourage everyone to take care what you burn, do your very best to ensure all wood burnt is as dry as possible and untreated with chemicals, but we fully accept that many of us cannot afford such things and scavenge wood as and where it presents. Encouraging the use of fossil fuels is likely to be a criminal offence under the Climate Emergency Act 2008, so we will not do so. We would, however, also encourage everyone to be a part of the conversation about our responsibilities, individually and as a community in this matter. Perhaps we can do better than we do now! Please contact us at secretariat@bargee-traveller.org.uk or 0118 321 4128.
Be aware too that only one local authority, Hackney, has deliberately set out to engage boaters in consultations on clean air zone extension proposals, but has since ignored us. A handful of other councils have followed the DEFRA guidance and informed the NBTA of consultations. Many local authorities have only advertised consultations on extending Smoke Control Areas to moored boats through media unlikely to be seen by boaters.
If you have any information regarding any such consultations, or any places where Smoke Control Zones already include moored boats across waterways already operate, please get in touch. Contact
secretariat@bargee-traveller.org.uk or 0118 321 4128.
For more information see https://bargee-traveller.org.uk/smoke-control-zone-regulations-can-now-be-applied-to-boats-due-to-the-environment-act-2021/