to think that having a bonfire is pure laziness

[chloeb8]

It seems that people around here are always having fires in their gardens. There is a tip quite close by so I just don’t understand the need! Not to mention the fact that it’s a PITA to surrounding houses. I think it’s very thoughtless and don’t know why people can’t just go to the tip to get rid of stuff (and yes the household I’m talking about have cars)

@user1497787065

We have a large garden and the garden bin would hold less than 10% of the grass cuttings each week and is only collected fortnightly. I load the car with all the bags of grass cuttings and so two tip trips, about 30 miles In total and more trips when doing hedges, pruning etc.

We have neighbours who moan about bonfires too but it is by far the easiest and quickest way to get rid of garden rubbish.

I don't understand that if your garden is small you can have the wast collected at a yearly cost but there is no provision if you have a larger garden and no, it can't all be composted.

What is this obsession with constantly cutting the grass? I also have a large garden and the bin is fine for cuttings, because we let the grass grow for more than a week. It's much better for wildlife and the environment in general not to have a perfectly manicured lawn. And how often are you trimming the hedges? A good cut back after nesting season should suffice?

So what do people think about BBQs?

What is this obsession with constantly cutting the grass? I also have a large garden and the bin is fine for cuttings, because we let the grass grow for more than a week.
You'd hate to live with my husband then - we have a half acre garden with a very large lawn and my husband cuts it at least twice a week (we do also have a wildflower meadow which we grew to encourage wildlife though).
He built 4 large compost bins so if you do have a lot of grass cutting that's the very best thing to do with them.

So what do people think about BBQs?

They should be added to the banned list as well. Along with trampolines, fire pits, wood burning stoves, squealing children, SUVs, private number plates, air travel, noisy sex, gnomes etc.

So what do people think about BBQs?

That when you are invited to a BBQ, the host should have their own BBQ, and not expect the guest to bring it?

Barbecues tend to be less burning material, much less smoke, and I can be reasonably confident it's safe-ish.

Whereas if you have a bonfire, sure, you might know that you're only burning wood and paper, but I have no way of knowing you haven't thrown an old sofa cushion on there. And judging by the acrid stink when my neighbours have had bonfires, they probably did.

Love a bonfire, we don’t have them often (and live a paddock width from any other house). I don’t do them for laziness though.

Our elderly neighbours love a good bonfire - on sunny days, the kind when usually you have washing out or windows open, but you can't because they're burning garden waste all day. They're too tight to spend money on a garden waste bin like we do (and I know thats the reason as I asked once), so we have to put up with it. Bloody antisocial.

I have less of an issue with bbqs since people are asking - they dont smell as much and dont go on as long. Our neighbour's bonfires last all day.

Is there any official rules regarding bonfires?

@Shopaholic100

Is there any official rules regarding bonfires?

I’m not really sure, but I think it’s not allowed to have them blowing smoke across a road.

Well. We just lit one to get rid of loads of wood, cardboard and bits of hedge.

As long as people are considerate its no issue.

Would I light one in my garden- yes
Would i have lit one at my last house - no

@Watsername

So what do people think about BBQs?

They're not so bad, much less smelly, you don't get that acrid smoke that gets into your lungs from bonfires. Last year at the height of the first lockdown some moron living near me had a really nasty bonfire and the smoke got everywhere. At the time we thought covid was a respiratory illness.

I agree with the poster above about grass cuttings too. Why on earth do people mow their lawns so often? Once a month is more than enough - let the wildflowers come up for a while and the bees do their stuff.

@Shopaholic100

Is there any official rules regarding bonfires?

Sadly not although I think councils have the right to bring in by-laws about them. But most won't, I suppose because they don't want to fund the tips any more.

we have a half acre garden with a very large lawn and my husband cuts it at least twice a week

TWICE A WEEK?

Blimey, do people really have nothing more constructive to do with their time (I take the point that you have a wildflower meadow too, but why do you need such a manicured lawn (or do you play golf on it)).

All our damn neighbours have installed wood burners and it stinks.
Burning cardboard in a garden incinerator is my retaliation.
And it doesn’t smell half as bad, and is fine in minutes, while they are permanently polluting us.

Next door neighbours have now installed two wood burners

Plus Amazon send us soo much cardboard, it won’t go in the recycle bin, and the bin men won’t take it.
The tip is also miles away with massive queues.

I think they smell nice. We have allotments near us and there's always a good fire going.

I love having a bonfire, although even I have to admit the car tyres do make a lot of smoke

YANBU at all!
We live on a respectable road, close to town and country, a blend of families and retired couples in detached housing.
The retired couples don't half like a bonfire, all times of day, night, year, weathers, materials. I wonder whether they suffer from pyromania bless.
Only one of them has ever had the decency to knock to discuss after I complained previously. The others couldn't give a monkeys that you might just be trying to dry several loads of washing when the better weather allows. Or that the smoke may aggravate neighbours with respiratory conditions and that neighbours may be deprived of enjoying their garden in good weather, let alone have windows marginally cracked open as the stale smoke permeates indoors too.
Most culprits are my parents' age who you would expect to know better. Wrong! They justify or downright lie when approached when you have evidence! Some surprisingly are mid forties to mid fifties, blissfully unenvironmentally aware for the 21st century.
Means extend to enlisting the services of gardening contractors to manage their pride and joy yet won't stretch to the waste being taken away by the same or disposed of themselves, cost effectively at the tip 1 mile away which reopened a while ago. Clearly too downmarket or too onerous to book a slot. Plenty of space in their generous plots which back onto fields to compost the garden waste yet burn they would rather and pollute the local habitat.
Takes me back to the late 1970s when burning was still considered an acceptable means of waste disposal. Only difference was in those days neighbours would actually knock your door to check you didn't already have your washing out! And they would be considerate in the time of day, weather conditions and frequency so as not to unduly aggravate neighbours.
Local authority a complete dead loss, effectively allowing this pollution and nuisance to persist and increase.
Other councils seem to adopt a stronger stance when it comes to stamping out this antisocial, outdated, entitled, inconsiderate behaviour.

I feel I should probably have added that I’m talking about bonfires happening in an urban area with small gardens!

If you’ve basically got a field for a back garden and no neighbours close by then I don’t think it’s as much of an issue.

@GiftOfGob

YANBU at all! We live on a respectable road, close to town and country, a blend of families and retired couples in detached housing. The retired couples don't half like a bonfire, all times of day, night, year, weathers, materials. I wonder whether they suffer from pyromania bless. Only one of them has ever had the decency to knock to discuss after I complained previously. The others couldn't give a monkeys that you might just be trying to dry several loads of washing when the better weather allows. Or that the smoke may aggravate neighbours with respiratory conditions and that neighbours may be deprived of enjoying their garden in good weather, let alone have windows marginally cracked open as the stale smoke permeates indoors too. Most culprits are my parents' age who you would expect to know better. Wrong! They justify or downright lie when approached when you have evidence! Some surprisingly are mid forties to mid fifties, blissfully unenvironmentally aware for the 21st century. Means extend to enlisting the services of gardening contractors to manage their pride and joy yet won't stretch to the waste being taken away by the same or disposed of themselves, cost effectively at the tip 1 mile away which reopened a while ago. Clearly too downmarket or too onerous to book a slot. Plenty of space in their generous plots which back onto fields to compost the garden waste yet burn they would rather and pollute the local habitat. Takes me back to the late 1970s when burning was still considered an acceptable means of waste disposal. Only difference was in those days neighbours would actually knock your door to check you didn't already have your washing out! And they would be considerate in the time of day, weather conditions and frequency so as not to unduly aggravate neighbours. Local authority a complete dead loss, effectively allowing this pollution and nuisance to persist and increase. Other councils seem to adopt a stronger stance when it comes to stamping out this antisocial, outdated, entitled, inconsiderate behaviour.

Not a fan of a bonfire then?

There are houses of differing sizes on both sides of the road, the entire length of the street.
It is a unique location in that it is only 5 mins walk from the outskirts of town so urban characteristics yet borders open countryside.
The fact remains it is very much a residential street where families with younger children and retired couples live side by side.
On the one side, the houses have generous plots which back onto fields. This is where the majority (but not all) of bonfires are occurring. Their presence is still felt in the quality of the air we breathe.
You raise a good point though. The perception of being so close to the countryside makes burning almost acceptable.
In my book, garden bonfires are garden bonfires wherever they are, when their ill effects are felt in your home and garden and are affecting the quality of your life.

Keep a diary and report it. My neighbours had them constantly last year on the warm days despite us saying we were In the garden and I’m asthmatic. I asked and they said no so I kept a diary and pictures. After 5 months of it pretty much 2-4 times a week I sent it to the council and the twats got a 5k fine. Was laughing my head off when he came storming round with the fine. It’s selfish and disgusting

Thank you Charlotte.
This is really helpful and encouraging. Sounds like you have a responsive local authority.
Our poor neighbour, whose husband is chronic asthmatic and was advised to shield during lockdown, is sandwiched inbetween these pyros and photos/videos every incident. I too am asthmatic and coincidentally my symptoms have been deteriorating to the extent I was on steroid treatment for 4 months and my inhaler has been switched twice. They have been made aware yet couldn't care less. Selfish baby boomers!
We are up to 32 identified incidents since lockdown started. Worst being when we first went into lockdown, 8 in 10 days, when we were confined to our homes and gardens and the weather was kind.
There are 2 main households regularly burning and another 8 who may have had 1 or 2. Strangely widely accepted in this community, 'if you can't beat them, join them' mentality. The one owner said he's been doing it for 30 years without complaints (until now). Smoking on airplanes and in pubs, restaurants and offices was also acceptable practice 30 years ago!!!
We have reported 3 of the worst spates to the local authority, resulting in 1 notice being issued to 1 of the 2 households. The third time they issued 3 notices to 3 households which neighbour each other and share garden visits to deter localised activity. Result? The 2 households continue to burn to this day regardless of notices and 3 neighbours complaining in person.
In my opinion, the local authority do not have a handle on the current situation. The current process depends on neighbours doing the investigative work then essentially ratting on neighbours. Only targets individuals rather than wider community.
Not great for building communities then nor is having regular, nuisance bonfires!