Isles MP Angus MacNeil has welcomed confirmation from First Minister John Swinney that he has agreed to extinguish current plans to ban wood-burning stoves in new properties.
Mr MacNeil wrote to Mr Swinney earlier this month stressing strong concerns about the impact this would have in the islands.
Mr MacNeil said:
“I am glad to see my pressure, along with many others, has caused another U-turn by the Scottish government, this time on wood burning stoves in rural new build houses.
“I wrote to Mr Swinney and received a letter of response today stating that the plan will now be reviewed following this feedback.
“Island communities are often reliant on wood-burning stoves in areas without access to alternative heating systems and stoves also provide invaluable back up in the event of a power cut.
“This policy had not been island-proofed and I urged the First Minister to look again at the policy and consider fully the impact this would have on rural and island communities which would affect both homeowners and the local construction industry and should be changed.”
In his letter of response, Mr Swinney said:
“The Scottish Government has heard the concerns raised about the use of solid fuel burning stoves and are taking these fully on board.
“As a result, the Minister for Climate Action, Gillian Martin, announced to the Scottish Parliament on 28 May 2024 that we will take forward a review of the NBHS regulations.
“The outcome of this review will be to ensure resilience to interruptions of electricity and heating supply and respect for rural communities’ culture and traditions.
“This review will also ensure climate-friendly alternatives to direct emissions are promoted in appropriate ways across Scotland.”
