Defra farming minister Daniel Zeichner outlined in a letter to the University of Oxford a number of conditions which would need to be fulfilled for the trial to take place. These included: ...

England councils handled about 100 complaints a week from illegal burning of wood in smoke-control areas between September 2023 and August 2024, according to campaign group Mums for Lungs.

The Clean Air Act 1993 established Smoke Control Areas (SCAs) where only approved appliances and fuels can be used. In SCAs, only Defra-exempt appliances (approved by the Department for Environment, ...

In February 2024, data released by Defra showed that emissions of particulate matter from burning wood in homes had increased by 56% in the decade to 2022.