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Original poster

Neighbours lit bonfire before 4pm

88 replies

Bonfiredrama · 21/05/2024 21:47

it was a very sunny day last week - I had 2 loads of washing out and my mum and kids were in the garden. Neighbours next door have a 3ft fence between our gardens. My kids were playing near the fence and my mum was sitting out watching them while I popped to the shop around 3.30.

The neighbour had started lighting a bonfire and chucking all sorts of stuff on it from around the garden (my mum said flames were about 6ft high)

My mum shouted over politely: ‘hey we have kids playing outside here and washing on the line, please can you put that out’. The neighbour can’t communicate very well in English but we usually get by with pleasantries etc. She started shouting and saying that my mum can’t tell her what to do and that she was being rude.

the daughter came out and my mum was explaining about the kids and the washing. The daughter screamed ‘I don’t give a fuck about your kids” - with my kids right there in earshot. My 6 year old could easily understand what she said.

I am fuming particularly about screaming in front of my kids. AIBU? What would you do? I have their landlord details but I don’t know what to do next. I don’t really want to go down the council route as we will have to declare it if we move house.

OP posts:
HumerousHumous · 22/05/2024 14:21

Peonies12 · 22/05/2024 14:15

YANBU, bonfires should be banned unless you live rurally. Totally unnecessary, it’s just polluting the air for everyone

Agree. That's why most councils offer green waste collections.

Op YANBU.

VickyEadieofThigh · 22/05/2024 14:20

Peonies12 · 22/05/2024 14:15

YANBU, bonfires should be banned unless you live rurally. Totally unnecessary, it’s just polluting the air for everyone

Garden bonfires give me the feckin' RAGE. There is no time on nice, warm days that ISN'T unpleasant for neighbours if someone starts a fire

We had neighbours who did this regularly when we got home from work in the summer and were hoping to sit in our garden - only to find it impossible because of clouds of smoke. It's bloody well anti-social.

Take your rubbish - whatever it is - and put it jn the correct receptacle at the refuse site.

Crumpleton · 22/05/2024 14:19

Toddlerteaplease · 22/05/2024 14:13

This. Your neighbour can do what they like in their own garden.

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If they're to thick to realise that yes, while it's their own garden, the smoke they are creating doesn't tend to stick to just THIER own garden then they really need some help.

Peonies12 · 22/05/2024 14:15

YANBU, bonfires should be banned unless you live rurally. Totally unnecessary, it’s just polluting the air for everyone

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:14

Toddlerteaplease · 22/05/2024 14:13

This. Your neighbour can do what they like in their own garden.

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They really can't - not in most local council areas, anyway. I'm surprised at the number of people saying this. You aren't allowed to cause a nuisance to your neighbours with bonfires.

Toddlerteaplease · 22/05/2024 14:13

IncognitoUsername · 21/05/2024 21:59

Why did you mum think she had the right to tell someone what they can do in their own garden? It might be inconvenient and inconsiderate to you, but that’s what happens when you live close to other people.

This. Your neighbour can do what they like in their own garden.

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:12

GabyZs · 22/05/2024 14:07

There are no laws about it, as long as it's not dangerous or burning toxic/household waste there's nothing that can be done about it I'm afraid.

In most local council areas it's fine to have garden bonfires, as long as you are not causing a statutory nuisance.

Impacting upon neighbours' enjoyment of their properties and gardens (i.e. blowing smoke all over their clean washing and children playing) is causing a statutory nuisance.

In many local council areas, they could be issued a fine for this behaviour. In Coventry, for example, they could be fined up to £5000 for this.

https://www.coventry.gov.uk/pollution-1/bonfires#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20law%20restricting,is%20causing%20a%20statutory%20nuisance.

Bonfires – Coventry City Council

Air quality in Coventry.

https://www.coventry.gov.uk/pollution-1/bonfires#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20law%20restricting,is%20causing%20a%20statutory%20nuisance.

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:08

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 14:06

No. Ops MUM told neighbour off…it WASN’T the ops mums garden.

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That's a very pedantic point and makes no difference to what I said, but OK.

GabyZs · 22/05/2024 14:07

There are no laws about it, as long as it's not dangerous or burning toxic/household waste there's nothing that can be done about it I'm afraid.

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 14:06

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:00

The smoke was blowing into her garden.

The rules on bonfires are that they should not cause a nuisance or impact people's enjoyment of their property.

You can't just start a fire and blow smoke all over other people's washing/ kids.

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No. Ops MUM told neighbour off…it WASN’T the ops mums garden.

RampantIvy · 22/05/2024 14:03

If the property is rented and not owned are they even allowed to have a large bonfire?

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:01

GabyZs · 22/05/2024 14:00

They're entitled to use their garden as they wish as well. What if it was a barbecue? It's the same smell but people don't seem to have an with that.

A 6ft bonfire blowing a huge amounts of smoke around isn't the same as a barbecue. There are rules about garden fires.

GabyZs · 22/05/2024 14:00

They're entitled to use their garden as they wish as well. What if it was a barbecue? It's the same smell but people don't seem to have an with that.

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 14:00

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 13:59

Not her garden 👍🏻

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The smoke was blowing into her garden.

The rules on bonfires are that they should not cause a nuisance or impact people's enjoyment of their property.

You can't just start a fire and blow smoke all over other people's washing/ kids.

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 13:59

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 13:59

Yes she did. The smoke was blowing into her garden and on her washing and kids playing outside. That counts as a statutory nuisance and impacting neighbours' enjoyment of their property. The neighbour should have put the fire out.

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Not her garden 👍🏻

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 13:59

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 13:52

I think your mum was really cheeky actually. She doesn’t even live there. Obviously your neighbours weren’t polite in their response but she had no business telling them to put it out!

Yes she did. The smoke was blowing into her garden and on her washing and kids playing outside. That counts as a statutory nuisance and impacting neighbours' enjoyment of their property. The neighbour should have put the fire out.

Bringbackthebeaver · 22/05/2024 13:57

readingmakesmehappy · 21/05/2024 21:54

It's not particularly sociable to light a bonfire when your neighbours have washing out, but they didn't actually do anything wrong.

Of course they did something wrong. If a garden bonfire is affecting a neighbour's reasonable enjoyment of their property then the council can take action. They are causing a statutory nuisance and could be reported if OP wanted to. You have to consider neighbours when starting fires in your garden.

Stripeysocks1981 · 22/05/2024 13:52

I think your mum was really cheeky actually. She doesn’t even live there. Obviously your neighbours weren’t polite in their response but she had no business telling them to put it out!

Crumpleton · 22/05/2024 13:41

IrritatedB3dM4ker · 22/05/2024 13:36

www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules

These rules only apply if you have a considerable neighbour, one that can actually read and understand, or a person from Environmental health at the local council can be bothered to implement the rules and go out to visit those having the fires.

Far to many rules aren't implemented today which is exactly why people behave as they do.

bananaramaterry · 22/05/2024 13:37

@sandyhappypeople some people think having a bonfire at anytime is selfish, how about that?

And you wouldn't have put it out with a hosepipe, ridiculous keyboard bluster!

🙄

IrritatedB3dM4ker · 22/05/2024 13:36

www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules

Maddy70 · 22/05/2024 13:05

Really? Ŵhy so your needs trump next doors?

Yes its bloody annoying but by 4pm. Youve had time to get your washing dry and enjoy the garden all day

I wouldnt have said anything.

My neighbours live to bbq and its really annoying with washing out. But i would never say anything

YouKnowYoureGood · 22/05/2024 13:01

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

FuzzyWuzzyWuzABear · 22/05/2024 12:57

Living in a smoke-free zone, does NOT mean you can't have bonfires.

You just need to follow the rules on what you can and can't burn, but that's the same in all areas.

Smoke control areas: the rules

In smoke control areas you can only use certain types of fuel or exempt appliances - find out if you live in one and what you can burn

https://www.gov.uk/smoke-control-area-rules#:~:text=Contact%20your%20local%20council%20to,in%20a%20smoke%20control%20area.

Ticktapticktap · 22/05/2024 12:51

I've had a neighbour insist I put a bonfire out and it really did cause way more smoke than letting it die out naturally.

It is bad not to check if people have their washing out, I'd always do this but I don't think I'd think to think about other people's kids playing out to be honest. Is it bad for them?