‘People in fuel poverty should be exempt from fines’

COUNCILLORS have agreed to waive any potential fines for people who are burning solid, fossil fuels like coal in smoke control zones.

At a full meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council yesterday (Wednesday), it was discussed that penalising people who are living in fuel poverty for not being able to afford to burn the more expensive smokeless fuels, would be inherently wrong.

Earlier this week health alerts were sent to residents in the town after Strabane recorded an air pollution level of 10, the highest number on the scale, with Newtownstewart clocking level eight.

On the back of that, council re-emphasised that anyone burning solid fossil fuels would exacerbate high pollution levels in the form of particulate matter which can be harmful to people’s health. A spokesperson went on to warn that anyone, “emitting smoke from their chimneys could result in a fine of up to £1,000”.

However, following yesterday’s meeting it was agreed that some people should be exempt from fines, even if they are burning solid fuels in a smoke control zone.

Strabane independent councillor, Paul Gallagher said that some residents may not be left with any choice in the fuels that they burn in the current cost of living crisis.

As Cllr Gallagher explained, “Before the Derry and Strabane councils were amalgamated, a policy was implemented where smokeless fuels were to be in use across Strabane, except in cases where residents were in a state of fuel poverty.

“At today’s meeting I raised this and it was said that a ‘general item’ in the earlier policy said that consideration would be given if the house was in fuel poverty to waive the fine. This was Strabane’s policy at that time and we were adamant that people who were suffering from fuel poverty should not be punished.”

Yesterday at council People Before Profit proposed a motion saying, “For anyone facing fuel poverty, the fines to control domestic particulate emissions in smoke control areas will be waived and communications will go out updating people on this.”

“This is a far more important issue now,” Cllr Gallagher remarked. “Fuel poverty has risen up to the working poor, through this cost of living crisis. If we’re saying we’re fining people for burning solid fuels, it’s just wrong. No way: We have to send out a clear communication that that is not the case.”

He continued, “For a lot of people, these banned fuels may be the only thing they can afford to get to bring heat to their homes, but maybe they wouldn’t have done it for fear of the potential added £1,000. Smokeless fuels are available, but they’re expensive. It’s vitally important that council put it out there as a matter of public interest that anyone in a state of fuel poverty cannot legally be fined for burning solid fuels.”

Smoke control areas are currently in place in Strabane, Castlederg and Newtownstewart.