A friend sent me this - I haven't located the paper yet
"the following was a Q & A in the Sunday paper, thought it may be of help?
Q My neighbour has built a workshop in his garden, with planning approval from the District Council. It has a wood-buring stove with a flue that emits smoke, which I have read could contain carcinogens. Is there anything I can do?
A Much depends on whether you are living in a smoke-control area. If so, it is an offence under the Clean Air Act 1993 for your neighbour to emit smoke from a chimney, whether domestic or commercial, unless he is burning an 'authorised fuel' or using an 'exempt appliance' - one that produces very little or no smoke. Visit smokecontrol.defra.gov.uk for further information. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the smoke might also be a statutory nuisance. In either case, consult your Local Authority Environment Department. You could take action under the 1990 Act or common law.
If you are not in a smoke-control area, your situation is covered only by the 1990 Act - but, again, the local authority should assist you. If you wish to take proceddings yourself, you should consult a solicitor. "
My first reaction was this was a red herring, assuming the stove was included in the plans.
The statutory nuisance regulation IIRC are intended to cover stuff like bonfires on washing days etc.
However a quick Google to see if I could locate the newspaper article turned up stuff like
and loads of other stuff mainly from the US.
Assuming that wood burning is more prevalent in the US as opposed to coal burning and thus is top of the problems list, I presume that similar issues may arise from burning coal (although the particulate size may make a difference).
Certainly this still raises a question about 'green' heating by harvesting renewable woodlands.
However in this particular complaint the carcinogen issue is still a red herring until action is taken to ban all fires and stoves which burn wood/peat/coal etc. and do not have a particllate filter.
Up until now I hand't thought of my 'fake coal' gas fire as being particularly environmentally friendly compared to a wood burner.
Ho hum
Dave R