Wood-burning stoves ‘should be banned when pollution is high’

WOOD-BURNING stoves are making the air toxic and should not be used on days of high pollution, the Mayor of London has warned. Sadiq Khan called on the Government to issue diktats that could stop owners using the fashionable stoves on days breaching air quality rules – just as hosepipes are banned during drought periods. Any action in the capital will be keenly watched across the country as 37 out of 43 regions in England have illegally high levels of toxic air. Pollution levels can be worsened by weather conditions such as fog or hot days with high pollen counts. Mr Khan said cracking down on wood burning stoves was important as road vehicles were responsible for only 50 per cent of pollution in London. He urged the Government to establish new a ‘Clean Air Act’ to crack down on non-vehicle sources of pollution such as burning wood in homes – as well as from shipping and building sites. While some people think burning wood is an environmentally friendly alternative, studies show the trendy stoves – which can cost thousands of pounds – are a major source of pollution. A 2016 Government survey found 7.5 per cent of homes burned wood – which made up 30 per cent of particle emissions. It estimated wood burning was responsible for as much as 25 per cent of London’s pollution. Dr Gary Fuller, a pollution expert at King’s College London, said even a modern ‘eco design’ wood burning stove emits similar particulate pollution – tiny specks of health-damaging soot – to six heavy goods vehicles or 18 diesel cars. Mr Khan said yesterday part of the problem was people burning wet wood in the stoves – and failing to keep them properly maintained. Wet wood makes a fire burn at a lower temperature, meaning less fuel is fully burnt and more escapes as soot. He said: ‘Could the Government say to people who use wood burning stoves not to use them on certain days? ‘There needs to be advice in relation to which days you shouldn’t be burning on – like we have with hosepipes when it comes to water being short.’ Mr Khan added: ‘We think half the pollution comes from vehicles, I’m taking steps to address that. But the Government needs a new clean air act to deal with the other half.’ Measures contained in the proposed legislation could include rules on wood-burning stoves, construction and river traffic and a diesel scrappage scheme. Mr Khan also called for extra powers for cities such as London to tackle the problem. But Dennis Milligan of the Stove Industry Alliance told the Daily Mail he rejected the idea that legal wood-burning stoves were the main source of wood smoke pollution. He instead blamed people burning wood in open fires. Mr Milligan said: ‘Under the Clean Air Act it is illegal for most of London – and some other parts of the country – to burn wood in anything other than a government-approved appliance. But nobody enforces that law.’ Dr Fuller agreed wood burning stoves are cleaner than open fires. But he added: ‘Given the money we are spending on controlling urban air pollution from other sources, is it reasonable that in a 21st century city we are still permitting people to pollute the air by decorative burning of wood in their homes?’