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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have reported my neighbour?

35 replies

HopeYouStepOnALego · 05/05/2020 15:16

Neighbour 4 doors down had a smelly bonfire yesterday - at 12:45pm! It was a lovely day where I am so windows all open and a line full of washing out. Local council guidance is no bonfires during lockdown and as this wasn't this neighbour's first bonfire in the past few weeks (they've had at least 3) so I used the council link to report a nuisance.

Today I got an email from the council to say they are going to write to the neighbour to request they don't have any more bonfires during the lockdown period. All good I thought, then today the bloody neighbour lights it again!!! Very breezy today so you can just imagine the smell! I have washing out again so I'm fuming! It's supposed to be a nice week in the South East of England and if the council post the letter out it could be days before it's received....grrr!

Why are some people so damned inconsiderate? If you're going to break the lockdown rules at least have the decency to wait until the evening, not light up midday or early afternoon FFS!

OP posts:
EerieSilence · 05/05/2020 15:21

Yep, I'd be complaining big tiem. A small bbq is fine, a full blown bonfire no no.

Gruffalomom · 05/05/2020 15:24

Yanbu to be annoyed, that's really inconsiderate.

But imo yabu to jump straight to a formal complaint. They are your neighbours! Why can't you just knock and ask them not to do it?! Confused

BossAssBitch · 05/05/2020 15:34

Very selfish of your neighbour.

However, a knock on the door in the first instance would have been my MO. Just to keep it neighbourly!

Original poster
HopeYouStepOnALego · 05/05/2020 15:38

I didn't knock because firstly I don't know them. Also the garden is full of guys cutting down greenery and throwing it on the fire (hence the smoke) and they're big guys who seem a bit intimidating so no way do I want to speak to them. They seem to have no regard about social distancing (they don't all live there) or annoying their neighbours, and I'm so irritated about having to shut all the windows and bring in the damp washing that I don't trust myself to be civil to them. Just found ash in the bathroom sink from their bonfire Angry.

OP posts:
HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 05/05/2020 15:39

Bonfires aren’t illegal, the council has requested the neighbour stop having bonfires however neighbour can refuse this request.

Unless the fumes from the fire is hazardous then legally council can’t do nothing expect ask them not too, however cannot force it legally.

Fluffybutter · 05/05/2020 15:42

As rubbish as this is ,it’s “guidance” not law I’m afraid .

WhenItIsOver · 05/05/2020 15:55

It is also only guidance not to remove greenery where birds are nesting at this time of year.

We have similar selfish people round here.

WorraLiberty · 05/05/2020 16:02

It's a guidance

The letter is a request

I wouldn't expect them to take any notice of the letter to be honest.

OneandTwenty · 05/05/2020 16:11

Of course report!

You are not allowed to create a nuisance at any time, so burning crap is never allowed. Pretending you are allowed to smoke the neighbourhood is wrong, because it's not true.

Jaxhog · 05/05/2020 16:11

Good luck with that! My guess is that they will take absolutely no notice. These sorts of people never do.

We've got neighbours like this too.

ilovesooty · 05/05/2020 16:18

Well you chose not to try to speak to them, but to go straight to reporting them. I agree with other posters that the report won't impact their behaviour.

Winterwoollies · 05/05/2020 16:18

I have something similar with my neighbours, only they burn plastic and polystyrene packaging as well! They do it year round. It is unbelievably noxious. I’ve gone over countless times and they either hide from me or awkwardly laugh and very begrudgingly put it out.

ScapaFlo · 05/05/2020 16:19

Speak to your local fire station too. My local fire brigade post all the time on social media encouraging people not to light bonfires. It's because controlled burning can get out of control quite quickly and it puts key workers (firefighters) at unnecessary risk.

Yes it's a nuisance and unsociable but it's the risk factor that will get it stopped.

Cheesypea · 05/05/2020 16:20

Why do they always do it in the middle of the day.

BacktoB · 05/05/2020 16:29

I would have cowardly put a note through the door after garden was empty to request no bonfires, and if they did it again, then report. V. pass ag, but that's me!

WhenItIsOver · 05/05/2020 16:34

This is what is on one of our local council sites:

www.barnet.gov.uk/environmental-problems/bonfires

COVID-19 outbreak
Smoke from bonfires can exacerbate respiratory conditions which is of particular concern while more people are at home with health problems caused by COVID-19.

At the present time the green bin collections have been temporarily paused and we would strongly suggest that you store your garden waste on your own property until the green bin collections resume.

For details on green bin collections please go to the recycling section on our website. Guidance is also provided on composting.

If you are considering having a bonfire
Garden bonfires should be avoided if at all possible. Barnet is one of the most populated London Borough and it is unlikely that you will be able to have a domestic bonfire without disturbing a neighbour.

What we will investigate
There is no legislation against domestic bonfires. However we may investigate complaints of nuisance arising from the smoke emanating from a fire.

If you believe you are being unreasonably disturbed by the smoke from a fire, contact us so that an officer may visit you at your property.

The officer will assess the nuisance you are experiencing and then they will advise you of any action to be taken regarding the persons responsible for the bonfire.

To report a nuisance arising from a bonfire, contact the Environmental Health Service on telephone 020 8359 7995 or email [email protected] link.

Include your address and telephone number as well as details of the premises where the bonfire is located.

LetsJustGetOnWithIt · 05/05/2020 16:45

Some people are bizarrely thoughtless. Things I'd never do but others do so freely. I wonder if they really are just oblivious? I think some people actually just don't consider anyone. Even something silly like my neighbour. She has small children. Mine are grown so I don't have to get up a the crack of dawn at the weekend but she does and doesn't think anything of banging her bins around at 7am - however I'd never do that at 7pm because I know her little ones are asleep. Just lack of awareness for some people. (Although, annoyingly, now I am allowed a lie in I wake up early lol)

Pinkyyy · 05/05/2020 16:46

They're clearly doing some garden work and burning the waste, they're entitled to do that and it seems like a productive use of lockdown time. YABU.

Original poster
HopeYouStepOnALego · 05/05/2020 16:47

Been emailing back and forth with the Environmental person at the council and providing photos of the ever worsening smoke. He's agreed the bonfire looks 'severe' and he said he's going to pack up and head to the house to check it out for himself. I'm quite impressed with how quickly they've actioned this tbh. If the neighbour had lit their bonfire later in the evening I wouldn't have given a toss, but midday/early afternoon is just so inconsiderate.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 05/05/2020 16:54

Interesting. I reported a neighbour 10 days ago (Friday). She is quite difficult and chose to ignore us when we were on the road next to her huge field with the most smelly smoke-belching heap. As she refused to engage, I filled in the local council thing.

First thing Monday morning the guy from the council rang. He was very chatty and explained that it is very antisocial blah blah and he had worked out whose field it was so was going to phone her. He called back 20 minutes later to say she was very apologetic. Apparently "a man" comes to burn rubbish in her field so now she can tell him not to as the council has been in contact. No fires since then. However, there was another pile there when I walked past yesterday so I reckon this Friday there will be another. I now have his direct number...

Maybelatte · 05/05/2020 16:56

The council are unlikely to do anything so it was kind of pointless although I’m imagining it made you feel better. They have provided guidelines, it isn’t a law.

FlamingoAndJohn · 05/05/2020 16:59

I thought that if you could or couldn’t have bonfires was local bylaws.

randomguy12 · 05/05/2020 17:00

How do your neighbours know that this isn’t permitted?🤔

GinNotGym19 · 05/05/2020 17:04

One of my direct neighbours was doing it daily I spose because of the dump being shut, they was burning a shed. on the 3rd day I put a polite note in, they have a video doorbell so knocked on my door for a couple of days, I didn’t answer the door because I didn’t see what there was to talk about! they’ve stopped having them now thank god. Bonfires are so anti social at the best of times!

Devlesko · 05/05/2020 17:07

We are all having bonfires, our tips are open, and having our green bins emptied.
There's a whole lot more tolerance up here though. we know all our neighbours and are friendly.
We speak to each other and communicate what we're doing.
Neighbour one clears their garden, informs neighbour 2 of bonfire, sorted.