You may burn garden waste in your domestic garden. However, there
are laws that prevent you from causing a ‘nuisance’ to your
neighbours, so please do so carefully and as infrequently as
possible. Burning of other domestic waste in not advisable, as it
may contain materials (such as plastic) which are much more likely
to cause a nuisance.
Burning of trade waste is very strictly controlled. Do not burn
trade waste without checking that it is lawful for you to do so.
Please contact the Environment Agency for further
information.
Can I have a bonfire?
It is not illegal to
have a domestic bonfire for the purpose of disposing of your own
garden waste. It is a common misconception that local by-laws exist
to control bonfires. They do not. There are no local by-laws or
regulations affecting your right to have a bonfire. The controls
provided by the law are contained in the Environmental Protection
Act 1990. The Council can take action against people whose bonfires
cause unreasonable interference with neighbours’ use and enjoyment
of their gardens or pose a threat to the wider public health.
In general, the Council discourages garden bonfires as a means of
disposing of garden waste, especially in urban areas, and
encourages the use of alternative methods of disposal for garden
waste.
How do we deal with problems?
If you have regular garden bonfires and the Council receives
complaints about nuisance, we may try to resolve the problem by
mediating between you and the complainants.
What are the legal rules?
If an informal approach does not work and we are satisfied that the
problem amounts to a ‘statutory nuisance’ we may take legal action
by serving an ‘abatement notice’, requiring you to stop. The
maximum penalty for failing to comply with the requirements of such
a notice is a £5000 fine, (£20,000 in the case of a trade or
business).
What’s wrong with bonfires?
Burning garden waste is convenient; but the process of burning it
causes it to disintegrate and undergo chemical changes. The
resulting smoke contains many unpleasant and harmful components,
including carbon monoxide, dioxins and particles, which are lifted
into the air by the heat from the fire.
In addition, the combination of careless burning and adverse
weather conditions can affect the local environment:
- Health effects - Some of the chemicals emitted by bonfires can
have serious health effects. Exposure to bonfire smoke shouldn’t
happen over a long enough period to cause serious harm, but it may
be sufficient to cause temporary distress and acute illness in
people who suffer from asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory
disorders or heart conditions.
- Air Pollution - The materials released into the atmosphere by a
garden bonfire will damage the quality of the air. The effects may
be transient and harmless most of the time, but if several people
have the same idea, or the material being burned is damp and
allowed to smoulder or contains plastics, rubber or painted
material, then the pollution will be much worse.
- Nuisance and Annoyance - The localised pollution from garden
bonfires can prevent other people from opening their windows,
hanging out their washing and generally enjoying their
gardens.
- Safety - Fire from garden bonfires can quickly spread to other
vegetation in dry conditions. Sheds, fences and other structures
may also be at risk. Don’t forget also that stray sparks carried
off with the smoke can have a devastating effect on thatched
buildings and their occupiers.
What can I do with garden waste?
Composting
is one way of reusing your garden waste. You may have to shred
woody material first and garden shredders suitable for this purpose
are readily available to buy or hire. (But be careful not to cause
a noise nuisance).
The Council provides a free fortnightly kerbside “green” waste
collection service. Every household is entitled to one free green
wheelie bin for this purpose. (An
additional green bin may be available on payment of a
fee).
Want to carry on burning?
We recognise that sometimes there may be reasons why you decide you
really do want to have a bonfire, in which case all we ask is that
you follow the simple precautions set out below.
Simple Steps to avoid trouble:
There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the impact of
your bonfire, or to avoid having one altogether:
- Compost garden waste or use the free kerbside collection
service for green waste.
- DO NOT burn any oily rags, rubber, plastics, damp garden waste
or other materials that would create heavy smoke or toxic
fumes.
- Never light a bonfire when your neighbours have washing drying,
or are out enjoying their gardens or have windows open.
- Advise your nearest neighbours before you light a bonfire so
they can be prepared for any minor inconvenience that may
arise.
- Choose the time of day and weather conditions that will cause
the least inconvenience to neighbours.
- Never leave your fire to smoulder for long periods and do not
allow a bonfire to continue burning beyond dusk.
- Burn material quickly in small quantities in a hot fire to
reduce smoke.
- Choose your bonfire site carefully, well away from trees,
fences and windows.
- Beware of attempting bonfires on very windy days as it can
easily get out of control.
- Have a hosepipe and buckets of water handy just in case.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
Contact us
If you would like more information about garden bonfires or smoke
nuisance contact Environmental Services:
Email:
Environment@waveney.gov.uk
Telephone: 01502 562111
Write: Town Hall, High Street, Lowestoft NR32
1HS.
Consultation
If you have any ideas or
suggestions as to how we can improve our services or the
information we have provided, then we would be pleased to hear from
you. The contact information you require is detailed
above.