Elmbridge Borough Council to deter wood burning after Defra grant

A council in Surrey is to discourage wood burning after securing government funding to encourage clean air.

Elmbridge Borough Council was given £11,700 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the second year in a row.

The authority is trying to deter wood burning of any kind in the borough, over health and environmental concerns.

Some residents could face fines of up to £1,000.

The money is to cover enforcement costs on Thames Ditton Island - a one Smoke Control Area (SCA).

SCAs - which tend to be in densely populated areas - have strict rules on what can be burned and the type of appliance that can be used.

The authority said the main pollutants in Elmbridge were oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10 and 2.5), as across the rest of the UK.

The council said: "We are focussing on PM2.5 as this poses the most risk to health. Reducing PM2.5 is one of the key priorities in the borough's Air Quality Action Plan.

"These fine particulates can cause and exacerbate life-threatening illnesses, including heart and lung problems, and research suggests it may even cause dementia and affect unborn babies."

Defra estimates that particulates from wood burning account for over a fifth of PM2.5 emissions.

Cllr Robin Stephens, portfolio holder for planning, enterprise and local economy, said: "It might seem cosy to burn wood on an open fire or wood burner on a winter's night in your home but there are hidden costs."

He added that it was more expensive than central heating and affected individual and community health.

"The increased CO2 and chopping down trees to burn in open fires and wood burners can also have a detrimental effect on our climate and planet," he said.

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