You can be issued a financial penalty of up to £300 if you break this rule. Only local authorities have the power to enforce SCAs and issue fines (the Canal & River Trust does not issue fines or manage SCAs).
Smoke control orders can be applied to boats following the passing of the Environment Act 2021, but local authorities must consult before they extend their SCA to include boats. SCA rules do not cover generators or boat engines.
Where an SCA covers a canal or river, and the local authority wishes to extend the SCA to cover boats, we are requesting that they pay for signage to make clear to boaters where they are entering an SCA.
The first SCAs covering boats on Trust waterways came into effect in Cannock Chase, Sandwell and Hammersmith & Fulham in 2024. For more details and to see the Smoke Control Order for each one, please visit the local authority websites listed below.
A number of other local authorities are proposing extending their SCAs to include moored boats. For more information and to respond to the proposals, please visit the websites listed below.
