Where can you smell Wood Burning stoves in East Dulwich

[heartblock]

"The dangers posed by wood burners in urban areas have become increasingly clear in recent years. Emissions from wood burners result in almost £1bn in health costs a year and are responsible for nearly half the cancer risk caused by urban air pollution."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/14/wood-burning-air-pollution-uk-doubled-decade.

So - where can you smell them being used. I only started this thread as the smoke coming from one on Melbourne Grove South was triggering my asthma. Should they be banned in urban areas, or regulated in some way?

[northernmonkey]

The number of houses on Trossachs road with a stack of wood outside the front door would seem to indicate that it’s nearly every house on Trossachs on both sides. It’s not an outlier but the wider porches clearly leave storage - also lots of houses done up on there at totally the wrong time in terms of the wood burner delusion!

[DCR]

Dear Northern Monkey

Please define what you understand by ‘nearly every house’ .

I do not have a wood burning fireplace/stove, and I have never been disturbed by the consequences of such burning in the Trossachs Road neighbourhood.

[northernmonkey]

I explained quite clearly that there are visible from the street piles of wood in many of the doorways. So on that basis people in those houses are burning wood. Unless it’s a weird style statement ‘pile of wood in the porch gives your house a rustic feel’ that i was previously unaware of!

[first mate]

Should wood burners be banned immediately, especially on LTNs, where air pollution is the driver for reducing traffic. Alternatively, should owners of these stoves be fined each time the stoves are used?

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Yes. Yes.

[first mate]

I was tickled to see George Monbiot decided he could no longer use his.

On this one I agree. I love a woodburner or open fire, who doesn't. However, having read the data I just don't see how anyone living in the city can use one with a clear conscience. If it really is your only source of heating then there may be a case and you live in the Scottish Highlands then that is different, but in London...? No.

[Lebanums]

Wood burners should be banned, they emit 750 times more pollution than an HGV....

From what I understand most of East Dulwich is a smoke controlled area, you only have to walk outside on a cold day/night to understand this is not being adhered to, but the policing of this is non existent, they have neither the numbers or the budget to keep on top of it.

[Jules-and-Boo]

get the council involved - they love anything they can fine.....

[malumbu]

That was a daft comment and is not in the slightest bit helpful. It

also made me login on my mobile, I've not posted for tonks on it. So that shows how silly it was.

Funnily enough you should alert the local authority but not sure how they would respond. We have a neighbour I expect has been burning unseasoned wood and the street smelt like a bonfire

I know shed loads on the subject, PMs from wood burners has been known about for at least a decade but I expect DEFRA/government does not want to upset either nice metropolitan professionals or middle England country folk.

Of course these nice urban professionals should know better.

More later when I have a proper keyboard. Back to mobile phone exile

[Nigello]

Not all burners are bad. Not all fuel is bad. Some burners exceed current legislation. Some fuel, especially that made from what would otherwise be wasted sawdust or coffee grounds etc., burns exceptionally cleanly.

Burning unseasoned wood or coal that’s not been treated should be reported (but what about bonfires and barbecues…)

[malumbu]

All woodburners bad in urban areas. Do you have a guilty secret?! Some are simply worse than others.

Biomass burners in properly designed burners are a separate matter. I doubt whether many have these in SE22

[first mate]

Mal, I agree and although I love them we just cannot have them in the city.

[heartblock]

I have had them in holiday let’s, and the child in me loves a bit of flame and heat, but once you understand the cellular pathology connected to particulates it is a very dangerous pleasure and very selfish too.

I hadn’t really noticed the smell in ED but they must have been burning some green wood in Melbourne because although it psychologically smelt of childhood bonfire nights it triggered my first asthma attack of the year.

I suppose I also connected it to the LTN argument as well, surely if we are supposedly encouraging active travel, we should be banning or at least regulating such a polluting and lethal activity?

[malumbu]

It is regulated. A general plea to all, do a bit of research before you post. Well at least this forum isn't as alarmist as WhatsApp and Twitter - big dig at the Street WhatsApp that even has a nutter antivaxer who posts all types of conspiracy theory.

Back to the subject, smokeless area, ban on some solid fuels including wet wood and burners need to be approved, properly fitted etc. More regulation is needed.....

[malumbu]

It is regulated. A general plea to all, do a bit of research before you post. Well at least this forum isn't as alarmist as WhatsApp and Twitter - big dig at the Street WhatsApp that even has a nutter antivaxer who posts all types of conspiracy theory.

Back to the subject, smokeless area, ban on some solid fuels including wet wood and burners need to be approved, properly fitted etc. More regulation is needed.....

[KalamityKel]

It is regulated. A general plea to all, do a bit of research before you post. Well at least this forum isn't as alarmist as WhatsApp and Twitter - big dig at the Street WhatsApp that even has a nutter antivaxer who posts all types of conspiracy theory.

Back to the subject, smokeless area, ban on some solid fuels including wet wood and burners need to be approved, properly fitted etc. More regulation is needed.....

 

What kind of regulation did you have in mind? How would such a regulation be carried out?

[march46]

Mums for Lungs do a good free flyer about woodburning that can be ordered online. Maybe pop it through doors with a woodpile outside to help raise awareness? Agree it’s a serious problem.

https://www.mumsforlungs.org/resources-and-downloads

[malumbu]

Sorry should have said better regulation as most of powers there already. Messaging from government doesn't help. DEFRA approved burners doesn't mean that they do not pollute. Tightening of standards would help to bring in filtering or scrubbing of emissions would be a start. In the same way that modern cars emit a fraction of the PMs that they did 15 years ago. Search DEFRA approved burners and all you get is stuff from manufacturers and suppliers,one I read talked about conspiracy theories and anti-wood burners, but gave no details

[Spartacus]

Lol

Maybe the residents are collecting wood to burn the demonising people who disagree with their point of view (pro or anti) as outlined in the current LTN discussion 🤔

Can't wait till the mob roams around the streets of ED with burning torches crying "kill the monsters" because that's how it's starting to feel on the Forum lately 🙄

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

Angry mobs don't carry flaming torches any more: their PM2.5 emissions are terrible.

[heartblock]

Only LEDs allowed in Dull-wich.

[malumbu]

I thought this thread, unlike the LTN one, was a safe space for a good debate. Anyway my posts are almost always in good spirit, often with humour (maybe too subtle for some, even when I am being self deprecatory), and well informed. You of course can disagree with me.

At times I do have to stifle a 'for Christsake, get a life' but that would not be appropriate for this forum (maybe some of the rabid stuff on Next Door).

[Angell34]

There is one behind my house. They also have a fire pit in the garden and during lockdown decided it was a good idea to burn household rubbish including plastic. During the summer I can’t open my windows. They even have a big chimney fitted. I reported it to the council who did nothing

[Sue]

There is one behind my house. They also have a fire pit in the garden and during lockdown decided it was a good idea to burn household rubbish including plastic. During the summer I can’t open my windows. They even have a big chimney fitted. I reported it to the council who did nothing

 

That's awful.

Have you spoken to the people concerned about the burning plastic in particular?

If the council did nothing, you could try asking your councillor to chase it up if it happens again on a regular basis?