Sefton and West Lancs Chimney Sweep Cheers Ban on Housecoal Sale
A Sefton and West Lancs chimney sweep has welcomed a ban on the sale of housecoal which comes into force today (May 1).
Peter Bretherton, of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep, says it will stop locals falling foul of a law already in place.
Under current legislation, parts of Sefton and West Lancs are designated Smoke Control Areas (SCA). It’s an offence to burn housecoal in a SCA.
However, because of its wide availability more generally across the area, many people in these areas were unwittingly committing an offence.
Peter said: “Although the ban does bring to an end a huge chapter in our country’s history, its use had been outlawed in parts of Sefton and West Lancs a long time ago.
“Nevertheless, it was still easily available up until recently. Therefore, it remained a firm favourite among some with open fires.
“The new law, which covers England only at this point, prohits the sale or supply of housecoal. So theoretically, its usage should dip to practically zero everywhere over the next few years.
“As a sweep, housecoal soot is messy and very pungent, so very few of my industry colleagues will mourn its demise!
Its passing also helps clear up confusion over what areas will allow housecoal, and which parts don’t.
“It’s a bit of a mess really, so this ban on the sale of housecoal will help.
Also, we’re expecting these SCA boundaries to be looked at soon in any case, as part of the overall government push for better air quality.”
Mr Soot is also a founding member of Burnright, a grass roots campaign aimed at educating woodburner, multi fuel stove and open fire users on how to use their fireplaces in a responsible way.
“There’s no denying it, housecoal is a very polluting fuel,” continued Peter.
Thankfully though, there are many more environmentally-friendly fuels available, such as seasoned logs and smokeless fuels.
“If burnt correctly, these can help make the air we all breathe as clean as possible.”
Caption: Peter Bretherton, of Mr Soot Chimney Sweep.