Plan to ban wood burning stoves angers businesses

The mayor of London’s move to ban trendy wood burning stoves has been met with an angry backlash by businesses who say they are likely to go bust if the plans go ahead.Businesses in the capital immediately raised fears they would be unable to continue trading after Sadiq Khan requested the new powers in a bid to improve London’s air quality.One fireplace shop owner said his industry was being “scapegoated” by a policy that could cost him his business.Pizzerias using wood-fired ovens also hit back and said the move risked costing jobs if restaurants had to close down, saying switching to modern ovens would cost them their authenticity.Khan on Friday wrote to Environment Secretary Michael Gove demanding more muscle to tackle air pollution after the level was raised 24 hours ago to “high” amid a spike in fumes.His proposals form part of a raft of measures to combat non-road pollution, such as that produced by diggers and wood fires, and include a call for the creation of zones where burning solid fuel such as wood is outlawed.This would mean homeowners with wood-burning stoves could face fines if they were caught using the fashionable heaters in restricted areas.Environmental activists had welcomed the move, with Clean Air in London saying it was “excellent” to see Sadiq Khan taking a lead and the Green Party backing the effort to tackle “all sources of air pollution”.But businesses spoke of “disastrous” consequences.Stonewoods fireplace shop, which has been in Wandsworth for 26 years, expressed grave concerns. Showroom manager Steve Welch, whose stoves are all government-approved, said: “It would definitely affect the business if we weren’t able to sell and fit stoves. It would be disastrous.“The problem with air quality is not really to do with wood burning stoves so much. The newer ones are much more efficient and clean-burning than they used to be.”The store sells in the range of 200-300 wood-burning stoves a year, he said, and in recent decades their popularity has increased.Today in the south-east of England, some 16% of households have one. They are responsible for between a quarter and a third of all London’s deadly fine particle pollution, according to King’s College research.Charlie McCalla, owner of Natural Fires (London) said the stoves he stocked were efficient and produced very little in the way of emissions. He said: “It’s unfair, we’re being scapegoated. If this happens it would pretty much destroy the wood-burning stove business.” Huw Williams, sales director of fireplace firm Chesneys, said: “The biggest issue in relation to pollution is the burning of wood in an open basket or fire, which is illegal in a smoke control zone.“This burning of wood is not policed or enforced and causes significant pollution into the atmosphere.”Khan’s proposed ban could theoretically also affect Italian restaurants which use wood-fired ovens.