We live in Bournemouth where there is no smoke control, despite being a densely populated urban area. The air quality from November to April is much poorer than the warmer months due to the popularity of open fires and stoves in the area and smoke is visible from many chimneys.
Our neighbours burn their own sourced wood (in compliance with regulations they insist) on multiple open fireplaces as their primary heat source - i.e every single day for half the year. The resulting smoke invades our home and causes me and my 4 year old son to cough, despite closing and sealing all our double glazed windows. I can taste it in my mouth and find it harder to breathe. We are unable to open our windows and ventilate our home for half the year.
It is stressful and disturbing to know we are breathing polluted air, which is wholly unnecessary as our neighbours have central heating. While our neighbours choose to burn wood to heat their home, my professional Temtop handheld monitor has recorded PM2.5 levels over 100ug/m3 directly outside our house and 10-20ug/m3 inside our house. PM levels are usually well below 5ug/m3 in Summer or when no neighbours are burning wood.
Our local authority currently has no incentive to address this problem, as they are relying on the previous Government's inadequate targets and incoherent communication on this issue. They also outright rejected my monitor readings as they are not officially "calibrated according to Defra's methodologies". However, the readings are pretty consistent with what I experience physically (smell, taste, laboured breathing).
I will consider moving from our lovely home if no action is taken, as i'm genuinely concerned for my family's health. But, I don't want to expose another family to this problem and nowhere seems safe while solid fuel burning is still permitted on these antiquated, polluting appliances.
E, Bournemouth