Scotland: Ban on wood-burning stoves paused

In a victory for rural campaign groups including the Scottish Countryside Alliance, Alasdair Allan, Minister for Climate Action, announced in a letter to Scottish councils that the “ban” on wood-burning stoves and other direct emission heating systems would be temporarily lifted. He stated, "The review is now concluding and we will implement the outcome of this by the end of December 2024."

On the same day the First Minister, John Swinney, was asked by the Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton whether this temporary U-turn would become permanent. However, despite the ill-thought out policy being the brainchild of the Scottish Green Party MSP Patrick Harvie, who has since been ejected from the Scottish Government, he would not be drawn to announce a permanent reversal.

The Scottish Countryside Alliance first wrote about this in April, following the introduction of the New Build Heat Standard regulations that came into effect that month.

Countryside Alliance Director for Scotland, Jake Swindells, recently spoke to Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, about the “ban”, outlining the genuine fears we have heard from our members about how they will be able to keep their rural homes warm.

Jake Swindells said:

“Over the past few months, the SCA has engaged with numerous members of The Scottish Government over what could be a devastating move for rural residents.

“We spoke with Minister Jim Fairlie and raised our view that the proposed legislation surrounding wood burning stoves needed to be reconsidered. We are extremely pleased that this regulation has been shelved and that the government has listened to our concerns. We look forward to working with ministers on other matters that affect rural Scotland.”

We understand that the public has concerns over air pollution and public health issues with wood burning stoves, but we have always maintained that these additional heat sources should not be banned for use by people living in remote rural communities, who often face regular power cuts over the winter. Without additional heat sources such as coal fires and wood burning stoves being available, they would be at serious risk over these long and bitter months.

We agree that wood burning stoves should not be used in urban settings, where many residents have access to the gas grid and other sources of “clean” heating. However, imposing a blanket ban on their installation in new properties throughout Scotland was not the right thing to do. 

It is well documented that traditionally built older housing lacks the necessary insulation to allow newer sources of central heating, such as air source and ground source heat pumps, to work effectively. As this technology progresses, we hope these alternatives will become more viable for rural homeowners. In the meantime, they will most definitely need the option to continue using secondary sources of heating over the harsh Scottish winters.

For further information on making your home more energy efficient, please follow this link.