The Countryside Alliance has written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds MP, to highlight the potential impact of proposals within the newly published Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP) on rural and off-grid households who rely on wood-burning stoves for heat.

While welcoming the government’s ambition to reduce exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and improve public health, the Alliance warns that stricter controls on fuels and the expansion of smoke control areas could, in practice, place disproportionate burdens on rural communities.

Many rural homes, particularly those off the gas grid, depend on wood-burning stoves as an affordable and reliable source of heat. The Alliance notes that although the government has clarified it does not intend to ban existing stoves, certain proposals may have the unintended effect of limiting their use, echoing the controversial situation in Scotland, where similar measures were later reversed after significant rural backlash.

In the letter to the Secretary of State, the Countryside Alliance has urged the government to adopt Rural Community Impact Assessments, as set out in its recent report Reconnecting the Government with the Countryside. Applying such an assessment to the EIP proposals would help determine whether they genuinely meet rural needs or risk pushing households into hardship, particularly in the absence of practical and affordable alternatives.

Sarah Lee, Director of Policy at the Countryside Alliance, said:

“We fully recognise the importance of reducing harmful emissions, but rural households must not be collateral damage in the pursuit of national targets. Many off-grid homes have no viable or affordable alternative to wood-burning stoves. Before imposing changes that could effectively limit their use, the government must ensure realistic transition timelines, practical support, and fair exemptions. Rural Community Impact Assessments would provide the necessary safeguard to ensure policies are workable, fair and do not leave rural families out in the cold.”

The Countryside Alliance will continue to work with government to ensure that environmental policy is both effective and equitable, reflecting the realities of life in rural communities.