Sadiq Khan is preparing a London log burner ban as part of a proposed clean-air crackdown that could see homeowners forced to remove wood-burning stoves from their fireplaces.
The Mayor of London wants new area-specific restrictions to be introduced through zero-emission zones. The proposals would also include tighter controls on domestic bonfires and a request for additional powers to tackle what he calls solid-fuel burning.
Many Londoners have installed log burners in recent years, with the cost of a wood stove typically put at between £2,000 and £4,000. Under the proposed measures, some could face having to remove them.
However, Mr Khan currently faces legal and practical obstacles. Local authorities can introduce smoke-control areas and prohibit bonfires on council-owned land, including allotments, but existing rules generally restrict the types of fuel that can be burned rather than banning modern wood burners altogether.
Dry logs can usually still be burned in approved stoves provided the appliances meet efficiency requirements. Mr Khan is urging ministers to give him and other local authority leaders wider powers, arguing that the current system is hampering efforts to reduce emissions.
He has also said that even small increases in solid-fuel burning can cause disproportionate harm to health. Labour has previously considered further restrictions on wood-burning stoves as part of efforts to bring emissions targets into line with those in the European Union.
Criticism of proposed London log burner restrictions
Sir James Cleverly, who is seeking the Conservative nomination for the 2028 London mayoral election, accused Mr Khan of interfering in people’s private lives.
“Londoners need a mayor who will put policing our streets before policing our homes and gardens, prioritising getting things built over having a row with people about log burners,” he said.
“Instead of finding new ways to tie up London and Londoners in new red tape and bans, we need to unshackle London’s potential and build a safer, cheaper, and more ambitious city we can be proud of again.”
The proposed restrictions would extend Mr Khan’s long-running programme to reduce emissions in the capital. His record includes expanding the ultra-low-emission zone and supporting low-traffic neighbourhoods and measures that allocate more road space to cyclists.
The expansion of the ULEZ into outer London, where many residents rely on cars, has angered some voters who accused the Mayor of targeting motorists.
Mr Khan has credited the £12.50-a-day scheme with helping bring nitrogen dioxide levels across London within legal limits for the first time. However, an analysis of official local authority figures found that at least 18 monitoring stations were still recording annual average levels above the legal threshold in 2024.
A spokesperson for the Mayor said harmful roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations were 24 per cent lower in outer London than they would have been without the ULEZ, and that Defra data showed London met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide for the first time in 2024.
“All Londoners are now breathing much cleaner air, but there is still more to do and the Mayor will continue to take action as we build a greener, fairer London for everyone,” the spokesperson said.
