Lewisham Council has taken a significant step towards improving air quality across the borough by approving the commencement of the statutory process to establish a single, updated smoke control area covering the entire borough.
This decision, made by the Mayor and Cabinet on Wednesday, 09 September 2026, aims to revoke existing smoke control orders and implement a clear, consistent, and effective regulation in line with Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) guidance. Crucially, the new order will also include regulations for smoke emissions from moored vessels.
Councillor Corin Ashwell, Cabinet Member for Environment, Nature, Transport and Climate Action, stated that the initiative is crucial for improving local air quality and contributing to wider environmental and climate objectives.
Emissions from domestic solid fuel burning are a recognised source of fine particulate matter and other pollutants, contributing to air pollution across London.
The new borough-wide smoke control area will differ from the previous, fragmented orders by establishing clear, consistent, and effective regulation, including for moored vessels.
The report states that the change to the previous smoke control areas is the inclusion of moored vessels within the new order. And this will ensure a consistent borough-wide approach.
The process will involve statutory notices, consideration of objections, and potential confirmation by the Secretary of State. The inclusion of moored vessels, identified on Deptford Creek, will ensure a consistent borough-wide approach and allow boat owners to access grant funding and support schemes linked to smoke control areas.
The statutory process, as outlined in the Public reports pack 09th-Sep-2026 18.00 Mayor and Cabinet, involves statutory notices, consideration of objections, and potential confirmation by the Secretary of State.
While specific dates are not provided, an indicative timeline in Appendix A of the Smoke Control Area report suggests a minimum of 8 weeks for the objection period for revoking existing orders and making a new one. This is followed by approximately 8 weeks for the Secretary of State's consideration and confirmation, and a further 6 months before the new order comes into operation.
This move is part of Lewisham's broader commitment to improving air quality, as outlined in its Air Quality Action Plan published in 2022, which includes measures such as expanding the air quality monitoring network, introducing school streets, and promoting electric vehicle charging points.
