Too windy for those nice, neat little piles of leaves on the edge of the garden, all smouldering gently like a scene from Thomas Hardy, so the old incinerator has been brought in to action. In the stiff breeze, it's going like a bloody furnace.
Totally carbon-neutral too, but I'm sure they will find some objection.
I've got a huge pile of damp leaves and tree cuttings needing a good smoking but am keeping my powder dry until the 10th October.
ReplyDeleteThis is 1010no pressures big low carbon day. Smokin !
From direct.gov.uk
ReplyDeleteBonfires and the law Local councils can act if you, or others, burn dangerous materials or regularly have bonfires. If you are going to have a bonfire, warn your neighbours beforehand and follow these guidelines to avoid causing a nuisance to others.
Laws about nuisance caused by bonfires
There aren’t specific laws against having a bonfire, or when you can have one – but there are Acts that deal with the nuisance they can cause.
Burning domestic waste
It is an offence to get rid of domestic waste in a way likely to cause pollution or harm to human health, including burning it.
Burning plastic, rubber or painted materials creates poisonous fumes. These can have damaging health effects – particularly for people with existing health problems, like asthmatics and people with heart conditions.
This is covered under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Environmental Protection Act 1990 Opens new windowDanger to traffic caused by smoke
Under the Highways Act 1980, anyone lighting a fire and allowing smoke to drift across a road faces a fine if it endangers traffic. If this happens, call the police.
Highways Act 1980 Opens new windowFind a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authorityThink about how your bonfire may affect your neighbours
There are ways to get rid of your garden waste without having a bonfire If you are having a bonfire, the smoke and smell created by it can annoy your neighbours. Smoke can stop people enjoying their gardens, opening windows or hanging washing out.
If your neighbour has a bonfire and it affects you, speak to them and explain the problem. They may not be aware of the distress they are causing – and may have not thought about other ways to dispose of the waste, like composting.
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.
Find your local council Opens new windowIf you do have a bonfire
If you have a bonfire, warn your neighbours – they are much less likely to complain A bonfire may be the only way of disposing of garden waste that shouldn’t be composted, like diseased wood. If you have a bonfire, follow these simple guidelines:
•warn your neighbours beforehand - they are much less likely to complain
•light the bonfire at a time least likely to affect your neighbours, eg not on a warm day when people will be in their garden
•only burn dry material not damp, which causes more smoke
•avoid lighting a bonfire when air pollution in your area is high – check the weather forecast, or the Air Quality website
I thought about this, but if I waited four days it would all have turned to mush. Don't worry, I will have plenty to burn on the 10th. I'll be going for a ride and giving it some right wrist, you can be sure of that, and possibly taking the car out and giving it some hammer as well. It really does smoke if you boot it. Perhaps I'll drive it to the bottle bank, just to even things out. I may save up all my farts as well. They say methane is a worse greenhouse gas than CO2.
ReplyDelete