• THE impact of wood-burning stoves on the quality of our air quality is rising in prominence.

Defra’s recent draft clean air strategy estimates that 38 per cent of primary particulate matter emissions in the UK comes from burning wood and coal in domestic open fires and solid fuel stoves.

Mike Wells is therefore right to raise this as an issue, (Enforcing the rules on fuels for stoves would help clean the air, August 23).

And prevention is better than cure. Camden is a smoke control area, which means that no heating appliance, whatever fuel it is burning, may emit smoke here without undergoing strict testing and certification.

Residents can check our newly issued guidance at: goo.gl/jB1jgU.

Only approved fuels can be burned in an open fireplace or non-approved appliance, while wood can only be burned in appliances given the green light by the secretary of state.

As you might imagine, taking action on something so ephemeral is very difficult, all the more so as the government ploughs on with even deeper cuts to council budgets.

Spotting, identifying and proving potentially harmful smoke is hard, and any non-compliant burners are, of course, situated behind closed doors! But the harm to health can be considerable.

Current smoke control legislation is dated and so the government is right to review it. But given the scale of challenge in battling air pollution they should consider banning wood burners in areas that have good connections to gas and district heating networks.

Anyone wishing to get further involved in improving the air in Camden, please head to the Clean Air Partnership forum at www.cleanaircamden.commonplace.is.

CLLR ADAM HARRISON
Cabinet Member for Improving Camden’s Environment