Woodburning expert, industry comment – immediate punishment not the answer to 15,000 woodburning complaints received by local authorities

Following the news regarding the 15,000 complaints received by local authorities under the Freedom of Information request by Mums For Lungs, I’d like to put forward expert, industry commentary from Calvin May, Head of Technical Services at Cleaner Safer Group, who says: “The reality of these numbers could be more nuanced and perhaps shouldn’t be taken at face value.”

 “Real behavioural change where the worst burning habits are eliminated comes from knowledge and education on best practices, not immediate punishment.”

“Just because a complaint is submitted it does not necessarily mean a homeowner has broken the law or will be fined. Education is at the heart of the Smoke Control Area (SCA) mandate, as such many complaints are resolved through advice and education first, with prosecutions and fines the final port of call.”

“There are over 1.5 million households in England with a solid fuel appliance. Against that backdrop, complaints only apply to 1% of total stoves, this potentially represents a very small portion of users. While this figure may be low, this does not mean complaints should not be investigated.”

— Full comment below —

“At first glance, the 15,000 complaints about woodburning from a freedom of information request seem alarming and genuine complaints should never be dismissed, however, the reality of these numbers could be more nuanced and perhaps shouldn’t be taken at face value.

“Just because a complaint is submitted it does not necessarily mean a homeowner has broken the law or will be fined. Education is at the heart of the Smoke Control Area (SCA) mandate, as such many complaints are resolved through advice and education first, followed by a warning letter, with prosecutions and fines the final port of call. Focusing on just the number of complaints fails to acknowledge the work undertaken by local authorities and the solid fuel industry to educate, inform, and improve.

“Furthermore, these figures via the FOI don’t appear to take into account misunderstandings of the rules or neighbour disputes, or where a single property may have be found to be in breach multiple times, which can skew the numbers. These complaints may also cover outdoor burning such as bonfires, chimineas, and other outdoor fires – not just wood-burning stoves.

“We recognise that air quality is a serious issue. There is a significant difference between the smoke emitted by an open fire and a modern, efficient stove that is operated correctly, fuelled properly, and maintained consistently.

“There are over 1.5 million households in England with a solid fuel appliance. Against that backdrop, complaints only apply to 1% of total stoves, this potentially represents a very small portion of users. While this figure may be low, this does not mean complaints should not be investigated. We encourage anyone experiencing issues with irresponsible burning or excess smoke from a neighbour to collate evidence and report the incident(s) to their local council.

“Real behavioural change where the worst burning habits are eliminated comes from knowledge and education on best practices, not immediate punishment. Burning wet wood or the incorrect fuel is often a primary cause of excessive smoke.

“Education is key to helping stove users minimise emissions, ensuring you have the correct appliance type for your home and area installed, particularly in SCAs, having your chimney swept at least once a year by a qualified chimney sweep, your stove or appliance maintained by a professional technician, and using Ready to Burn fuels are essential steps to responsible stove ownership and best burning practices.”

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