Log burner enforcement
Case reference FOI2026/01652
Received 5 August 2026
Published 27 August 2026
Request
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding inspections and enforcement action relating to domestic log burners (wood-burning stoves) within your council area.
Please provide the following information for the last five full tax years.
Please tell me:
The number of complaints received by the council relating to domestic log burners in the period.
The number of inspections or investigations carried out by the council relating to domestic log burners or wood-burning stoves.
The reasons for these inspections (for example, complaints received, smoke nuisance, planning issues, Clean Air Act matters, or other concerns).
The number of cases where the council identified a breach or issue requiring action.
Details of the action taken following these inspections, including (where applicable):
informal advice or warnings issued; enforcement notices served; fines or penalties issued; prosecutions or other legal action taken; any other remedial action required.
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding inspections and enforcement action relating to domestic log burners (wood-burning stoves) within your council area.
Please provide the following information for the last five full tax years.
Please tell me:
The number of complaints received by the council relating to domestic log burners in the period.
Log burner complaints from domestic premises are logged as either odour complaints, bonfire complaints or air pollution complaints depending on how the requester has logged their complaint. We received 234 complaints logged as ‘Air Pollution’ from 1 January 2020 till today, which will include most of the log burner complaints. It would be overly burdensome to go through each and every case to determine whether it was related to domestic wood burners.
The number of inspections or investigations carried out by the council relating to domestic log burners or wood-burning stoves.
All complaints received get assigned to an officer for investigation. The extent of investigation will depend on evidence of statutory nuisance or non-compliance with Clean Air Act.
The reasons for these inspections (for example, complaints received, smoke nuisance, planning issues, Clean Air Act matters, or other concerns).
It would be time prohibitive to examine every air quality case individually, in order to respond to this query. As a general principle, if the complaint is from a wood burner in a smoke control area, it will be dealt under the Clean Air Act, otherwise it will be dealt under the provisions of the Environmental Protection act 1990 (statutory nuisance).
The number of cases where the council identified a breach or issue requiring action.
None.
Details of the action taken following these inspections, including (where applicable):
informal advice or warnings issued; enforcement notices served; fines or penalties issued; prosecutions or other legal action taken; any other remedial action required.
Most of the cases have not progressed beyond the first contact letter to the alleged property. For the wood burners in the SCA, alleged perpetrators have provided documentation to prove compliance with the SCA requirements. Investigation of wood burners outside the SCA can take longer, if smoke is witnessed and statutory nuisance needs to be proven. Although, none of the complaints have required service of an
abatement notice.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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