Wood burner ban Scotland: Indoor burning could be banned on high pollution days under new Beyond Blue report recommendations

Health warnings would be issued with all wood-burning stoves under restrictions recommended in a new report that has the backing of more than 100 Tory MPs.

Centre-right think-tank Beyond Blue has produced a report suggesting councils also be given greater powers to ban the use of wood burners on high pollution days.

It comes after Asthma + Lung UK Scotland last month called for tighter regulations of wood burning stoves and for the Scottish Government to increase public awareness of the pollutants associated with domestic burning.

The new report, entitled Delivering Cleaner Air in a Socially Just Way, said: “Because many of those who burn at home tend to be better off, it should be possible to reduce this source of pollution without harming those in a more precarious financial situation.”

Wood burners and open fires are the second biggest source of small particle air pollution in the UK

England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, has been among prominent figures to recently highlight the danger of indoor air pollution.

According to Bright Blue, the Clean Air Act could be amended to allow councils to ban the use of indoor burning on days forecast to be very polluted.

Alerts would also be broadcast on TV, radio and social media.

Particulate matter (PM2.5) consists of fine particles that, once in the air, are harmful to human health.

There has been an 89 per cent increase in PM2.5 emissions from wood burning as a fuel between 2010 and 2021, according to statistics published by the UK Government.