Could wood burners be banned in Norwich?

With Norwich being a hotspot for wood burners but concern growing over air quality, talk has spread in the city about a possible ban on the popular stoves.

It follows a decision by the city council to look at extending what are called "smoke control areas".

A key reason for them is to try to cut down the harmful fine particulate matter generated by burning wood.

But wood burners have grown in popularity over the last few years – researchers at University College London have suggested there are 100 per square kilometre in Norwich.

Could a ban actually be on the cards?

When solid fuels such as wood are burned, particles known as PM2.5s are released into the air.

These tiny particles have been linked to conditions such as heart disease and strokes.

The government says "vulnerable groups, including children, older people and those with existing health conditions, are most affected" by them.

An increase in air pollution has been linked to the rise in the number of stoves, with research from the University of Birmingham suggesting domestic wood burning at home generates more of the particles than traffic does.

This has led to the likes of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health calling for the "phasing out [of] domestic wood-burning in urban areas".

In short, no.

Last week, Norwich city councillors unanimously backed proposals on reducing air pollution.

Among the suggested measures was extending Norwich's three current smoke control areas – which cover King Street, Bowthorpe, and the area around Norwich Airport – to across the entire city.

In such an area, you can still burn wood indoors – but only in a stove that meets modern standards set by Defra.

And you still can fire up older wood burners or open fireplaces as long as you use "smokeless" fuels such as anthracite, which is a form of coal.

Breaking those rules can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

"The idea of the smoke control area is to highlight [to people] the harmful effects of wood smoke," said Hannah Hoechner, the Green councillor behind the idea.

"The key interest here is to make people more aware so that they can make better choices and understand the danger they're putting themselves in and others, potentially."

Oxford and Reading both introduced whole-city smoke control areas at the end of 2024, while most of London is covered by them.

Norwich City Council has begun a consultation on air quality, which includes the idea of extending the smoke control area.

Kerry Walpole, of Norfolk Woodburners, said he was against "dirty wood burners" and that all stoves his company installed met the Defra requirements.

"Smoke control zones are good for cleaning up the environment. What we don't understand is that you can still purchase stoves that don't meet those regulations," he added.

"But what we're getting slightly tired of is the regular press saying that burners are going to be banned, and it's very detrimental to our business."

Norwich City Council's consultation is open until 30 March.

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