Complaining to your council about bonfires If speaking to your neighbour fails, contact your local council's environmental health department. In most cases, officers from the council will try to deal with the problem informally.
To be considered a nuisance, bonfires need to be a regular occurrence and seriously interfere with your well-being. If the bonfire is only occasional, eg a couple of times a year, it’s unlikely to be considered a nuisance in law.
If the council considers a bonfire to be a nuisance, it can issue an ‘abatement notice’. This notice may mean your neighbour must stop having bonfires completely. If they do not stick to the notice (‘comply’) they face a fine of up to £5000 and a further £500 for each day they don't comply.
WW - thanks for the comment on the photo. It's the first decent pic I have taken with the iPhone, and it's only because the camera was overwhelmed by the backlighting. I must get a decent mid-range camera. I love my DSLR, but it's way too cumbersome for eveyday use. The smell of burning leaves is an essential part of autumn for me too - curiously, it reminds me most of all of the park in Leeds where I used to go when I was a boy, not the countryside at all.
Derf - thanks for the timely information. I love they way that they provide a translation from normal to tech-speak. Usually the stuff in the brackets would explain the technical terms in easy-to-understand language (if they do not comply (stick to the notice)", but these bazookas have it the other way round. The bonfire offended no-one, but pleased me greatly. Judging from the amount left on the trees (still about 70% remaining) I will be doing it for a while yet.
I got some good photos of my bonfire on Sunday ( 10 10's CO2 day). It was really smoky for a bit but sadly started burning with a beautiful clear flame. I've ordered a new wodburner so will steal your plans for a woodshed if you don't mind ?
@Motoroz - thanks. Have a great ride in Arkansas. That must be fantastic at this time of year.
@Don - shame about the clear flame. Next time, try plonking lots of soggy stuff on the top as soon as the fire is well established. You'll choke. And the plans - please - help yourself!
I've got the exact same burner. And I am surrounded by trees so I have plenty of leaves to chuck in there. Trouble is, they are soggy right now and it is tricky getting them to burn.
When it does get going the smoke is tremendous.
I'll try, but I'm not certain I could match that great picture of yours.
I've had several of those incinerators, and they have always rusted away, despite being galvanised. This one is kept in the dry when not in use, and it's lasting well. My leaves are all pretty dry at the moment, so getting them going is easy. I got lucky with the photo - massive smoke and the sun just setting over the house created a Hound Of The Baskervilles-type cloud over the lawn.
It's a great photo. Smoke, the smoke of leaves and wood always gets to me. Ever listened to "From the Witchwood" by the Strawbs?
ReplyDeleteFrom direct.gov.uk. They are watching you>>>
ReplyDeleteComplaining to your council about bonfires
If speaking to your neighbour fails, contact your local council's environmental health department. In most cases, officers from the council will try to deal with the problem informally.
To be considered a nuisance, bonfires need to be a regular occurrence and seriously interfere with your well-being. If the bonfire is only occasional, eg a couple of times a year, it’s unlikely to be considered a nuisance in law.
If the council considers a bonfire to be a nuisance, it can issue an ‘abatement notice’. This notice may mean your neighbour must stop having bonfires completely. If they do not stick to the notice (‘comply’) they face a fine of up to £5000 and a further £500 for each day they don't comply.
WW - thanks for the comment on the photo. It's the first decent pic I have taken with the iPhone, and it's only because the camera was overwhelmed by the backlighting. I must get a decent mid-range camera. I love my DSLR, but it's way too cumbersome for eveyday use. The smell of burning leaves is an essential part of autumn for me too - curiously, it reminds me most of all of the park in Leeds where I used to go when I was a boy, not the countryside at all.
ReplyDeleteDerf - thanks for the timely information. I love they way that they provide a translation from normal to tech-speak. Usually the stuff in the brackets would explain the technical terms in easy-to-understand language (if they do not comply (stick to the notice)", but these bazookas have it the other way round. The bonfire offended no-one, but pleased me greatly. Judging from the amount left on the trees (still about 70% remaining) I will be doing it for a while yet.
Ho ho.
A nice bonfire with a clear conscience, eh.
ReplyDeleteAll that heat & CO2 adding to Global Warming; all that smoke blocking out the sun's rays, and so helping Global Cooling.
Call it a score-draw.
Plus I got fairly hot working in the garden, so I didn't need to put the heating on until later. I call that a result.
ReplyDeleteHave a bonfire and save the planet.
Great photo. The fall provides a lot of great scenery. I am riding to Arkansas on the 21st - 24th and looking forward to the leaves changing colors.
ReplyDeleteI got some good photos of my bonfire on Sunday ( 10 10's CO2 day). It was really smoky for a bit but sadly started burning with a beautiful clear flame.
ReplyDeleteI've ordered a new wodburner so will steal your plans for a woodshed if you don't mind ?
@Motoroz - thanks. Have a great ride in Arkansas. That must be fantastic at this time of year.
ReplyDelete@Don - shame about the clear flame. Next time, try plonking lots of soggy stuff on the top as soon as the fire is well established. You'll choke. And the plans - please - help yourself!
I've got the exact same burner. And I am surrounded by trees so I have plenty of leaves to chuck in there. Trouble is, they are soggy right now and it is tricky getting them to burn.
ReplyDeleteWhen it does get going the smoke is tremendous.
I'll try, but I'm not certain I could match that great picture of yours.
CR.
I've had several of those incinerators, and they have always rusted away, despite being galvanised. This one is kept in the dry when not in use, and it's lasting well. My leaves are all pretty dry at the moment, so getting them going is easy. I got lucky with the photo - massive smoke and the sun just setting over the house created a Hound Of The Baskervilles-type cloud over the lawn.
ReplyDelete