Households with log burners have been hit with fines (Image: Getty)
Thousands of complaints about log burners have been reported across England in a single year but campaigners against smoke pollution have called for more fines to be dished out.
govern what people can burn in their log burners, fireplaces or through their chimneys.
It means that anyone polluting the air through burning in a Smoke Control Area can face a fine.
According to DEFRA’s regulations, In England you may have to pay a penalty of up to £300 if your chimney releases smoke in a smoke control area, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you buy unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that’s not approved by DEFRA.
Today, it was revealed that 5,600 complaints have been lodged about smoke in Smoke Control Areas in England, but just four fines were dished out.
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In Birmingham, there were 783 complaints, but no action taken via enforcement letters or inspections.
Fines of up to £1,000 were introduced by government, but only four councils have issued any.
Parent campaigners are warning that councils are failing to tackle air pollution from illegal wood burning, as FOI requests submitted by Mums for Lungs show that only four fines have been issued in a year and not a single prosecution has been pursued.
There were over 100 complaints every week (5,608 in 12 months) to local authorities in smoke control areas about wood burning, but this resulted in just a handful of fines despite clear regulations around smoke control areas.
Even the most modern ‘Ecodesign’ stoves emit six times as much particulate pollution as an HGV truck on an hourly basis. Wood smoke contains most of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, including benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Research shows that wood smoke is more toxic than cigarette smoke. Using an indoor wood stove or fireplace increases women’s risk of developing lung cancer by 43% compared with those that do not use wood heating, according to a study from 2023
Mums for Lungs have started a Christmas advertising campaign with the tagline ‘Don’t Choke Santa’ warning about the risk of pollution from chimneys across the UK. The adverts have been offered for free to the group on advertising sites owned by Lambeth Council.
In Birmingham, there were 783 complaints made to the council but despite this, the council did not even issue a single enforcement letter or carry out an inspection. Council had 213 complaints, but issued just 7 warning letters, while Cheshire East had 141 complaints, but took no action whatsoever.
Wood burners can lead to fines (Image: Getty)
In contrast, Bromley Council in south east London issued 275 enforcement letters in response to the same number of complaints and carried out around 135 inspections in response to concerns from the public. North Tyneside Council wrote 270 enforcement letters in the same period, the second highest in the country
Rachel Smedley, who lives in Sheffield, said: “We’re surrounded by wood burning in this part of Sheffield. Nearly every house bought by young buyers has a wood burner. We inherited one with our house but have chosen never to use it as we knew enough about the harms of wood burning. I get really upset when I hear the kids in the local primary school playing outside in all the wood smoke.
“One of my children suffers with their chest every winter which I’m pretty convinced is exacerbated (if not caused) by so much wood smoke in our immediate neighbourhood. Sometimes it’s so strong it hits you as soon as you open the front door and I know it seeps into our house. It makes you feel very powerless.”
Tom, who lives in Bournville in South Birmingham, said: “I have asthma, and can feel my airways tightening when there is wood smoke in the air. Until about two years ago I never noticed wood smoke in our area.
“But recently, when walking my children to evening activities in the local area, I am taking longer routes to avoid walking past certain houses where I know the air will be harder to breathe. It is also becoming a source of social anxiety if we are invited to people’s homes and find they are burning wood – I don’t want to come across bossy or demanding, but I also don’t want to put our health at risk.”
Jemima Hartshorn, Mums for Lungs, said: “If you open your door on a cold night in any town, city or village you can smell the wood pollution. You wouldn’t want a truck pumping air pollution into your front room, but ironically even modern wood stoves cause six times the fine particle pollution of an HGV.
“We’ve known about the health impacts of wood burning for decades. We need to make sure councils are given the tools and resources to protect children from toxic pollution and not just talk about the risks. The current system is obviously not fit for purpose.”
Only four councils out of the 159 that responded to the requests said they had issued a penalty notice for wood burning – Bolsover, Bristol, Horsham and Wakefield. St Helen’s Council said they issued four abatement notices and Norwich City Council issued a single community protection warning.
Tom, who lives in Bournville in South Birmingham, said: “I have asthma, and can feel my airways tightening when there is wood smoke in the air. Until about two years ago I never noticed wood smoke in our area. But recently, when walking my children to evening activities in the local area, I am taking longer routes to avoid walking past certain houses where I know the air will be harder to breathe. It is also becoming a source of social anxiety if we are invited to people’s homes and find they are burning wood – I don’t want to come across bossy or demanding, but I also don’t want to put our health at risk.”
Jemima Hartshorn, Mums for Lungs, said: “If you open your door on a cold night in any town, city or village you can smell the wood pollution. You wouldn’t want a truck pumping air pollution into your front room, but ironically even modern wood stoves cause six times the fine particle pollution of an HGV.
“We’ve known about the health impacts of wood burning for decades. We need to make sure councils are given the tools and resources to protect children from toxic pollution and not just talk about the risks. The current system is obviously not fit for purpose.”
RCPCH Clinical Fellow, Dr Alice Willson, said: “Wood burning releases harmful PM2.5 particles, contributing significantly to both indoor and outdoor pollution. Many people are unaware of the severe health risks, especially for children whose developing lungs make them particularly vulnerable to all forms of air pollution. In our recent position statement, we called for phasing out domestic wood burning in urban areas to reduce air pollution. Taking steps such as this will not only protect child health, but also the health of the planet.”