To want my neighbours to stop burning garden waste.

[Lunificent]

Their bonfire is very close to us, directly behind our patio. They haven’t lived here long and are cutting down hedges etc then burning as they go, rather than using the recycling bin/going to the tip. They burn waste twice a week including a weekend evening. Last night they were strimming and burning from 6 till 11pm. They have just started again this morning.
The impact is that I’m constantly bringing in washing, bringing in food we were eating in the patio, showering the smell off. Even with windows and doors closed, the smell drifts through our ground floor. I am using the garden a bit more than normal as I’m tired during chemotherapy and I’m getting anxious that the smoke is bad for me. I think I may be being a bit precious there, but it does worry me a bit.
I don’t want to go round myself as I don’t like confrontation and don’t know what they’re like.
Do you think my council would take a complaint seriously? Their website states that bonfires should be irregular and not on the weekend, but these sound more like guidelines than rules.

My council are fairly strict about this ( we are in a smoke free area). I would suggest making a log of how often they are burning and the impact on you and send that to the council. It’s not infrequent is it.

We had a neighbour burning plastic a few weeks ago (denied it but its bloody obvious) because they had too much rubbish. The day before rubbish pick up and our bin men are super easy going (don’t care about extra bins). Stunk the whole street out.

@FakeColinCaterpillar - burning plastic! What is wrong with people. I have kept a log so will contact council and pass it on.

Many years ago I had neighbours that constantly had a bonfire. We'd just moved in, hadn't met them yet, and it was awful. Because of the layout of the surrounding buildings the smoke would sort of collect in my garden and hang around. You could see it in the air. I couldn't have windows open or hang washing out. I was working 12 hr shifts at the time, so would often hang laundry out the night before and then come home to discover it stinking and have to be washed again. So I get it, I really do.

One day I came home early to yet another bonfire and a load of washing that I had washed 3 times stinking of smoke. They happened to be outside as I went outside to pick it in and wash it for the 4th time. They cheerily shouted over 'afternoon! How are you?' I lost it, I shouted at them that they were unsociable and selfish, that I was constantly washing over and over again, couldn't open my windows or sit in the garden.

They were...a little taken aback, shall we say!

We lived in that house for 12 years, there ware only 6 houses in the little hamlet, and we all knew each other. I'd say it took a good 4 years for us to get over my outburst and have a neighbourly relationship. It gradually became friendly. They were lovely people who genuinely didn't realise they were causing a problem. Many times over the years I wished I'd gone and knocked on the door and told them I was having a problem, and asked them if they'd let me know when they intended to burn stuff as I wouldn't be home to pick washing in. They were so nice, they would have had no problem confining their bonfires to Wednesday's or whatever and probably would have offered to pick my washing in themselves if necessary!

So my advice is don't contact the council in the first instance. You'll inevitably fall out with them and you do have to live next door to them, after all! I'd pop around, possibly with a 'new home' card so the visit isn't all about complaining, and politely let them know that the smoke is causing you problems. If you have a green waste bin that has space in it, I'd offer them to use yours too to help them shift the stuff they're clearing so they don't have to burn it. We have to pay for our green waste collections, but in your situation id be happy to trade that off against a smoke free garden!

If they don't respond to you trying to meet them half way and carry on burning all the time, then at that point I'd go to the council.

I would have a conversation with them first. Just explain your concerns and discuss when might be a good time for them to burn their waste. Going straight to the council will never encourage a good relationship with them.

Thanks for your advice @Faranth and @girlmom21. As they live behind us rather than beside us, it’s less necessary to keep good relations with them and we can’t physically see one another despite the close proximity. I think If it were my next door neighbour, I would have spoke to them over the wall.
I’m still tempted to go to the council as I can’t imagine people who think this is ok, will be able to stop doing it.

You could try being an adult and speak to them first without sneaking to the council.

I always say this on here, but I have no idea why garden bonfires are allowed. Anti-social at best, dangerous at worst.

If you have garden waste, take it to the tip or use a garden waste collection.

I had this problem. Contacted environmental health and they sent a cease and desist letter and it stopped thankfully. Smoke is extremely bad got your health and if I was on chemotherapy I would be more concerned so you are being precious at all.

I didn't want to go around and knock. I didn't know them and they may be lovely or, if they hadn't been and I had to push for further action, it could have got very nasty. I preferred that the council sent a letter and let it anonymous.

Can you get a hose on it and put it out?

I preferred that the council sent a letter and let it anonymous

Be careful with this, my DPs were having issues with a very unapproachable downstairs neighbour with mental health problems - he was living in literal filth, and had rats in the flat. They started getting in to DPs flat so they contacted Environmental Health wanting to make an anonymous complaint. EH wrote to him saying 'your neighbours Mr & Mrs X at number 4 Main Street have complained about a rat problem originating at your address' Which DPs discovered when he was banging on their front door brandishing the letter!

@Aqua55 as I said, I don’t know them. I don’t know what they’re like and I don’t think, on the basis of the frequency that they’ve been doing this, that a polite word would put a stop to it.
@RavingAnnie thanks for your reply. I am worried about the effect of the smoke. Have already got throat problems from the chemotherapy.
@MouldyPotato. That would be a marvellous idea lol, but the hedge is very high.

We had the same OP - NDN's at the bottom of our garden had a gardener come in twice a week,and he burned all their lawn clippings and hedge clippings. As it was wet, it just smouldered all day and was horrific. You'd just get over one lot burning and they'd be back starting another. I literally felt trapped in the house by it, as you couldn't have a door or window open let alone use the garden.

I happened to bump into them one day walking the dogs, and said about it but they just carried on. So I rang the council, sending some photos and the bonfire man (as he's known in our house) came straight out. They were firmly told not to keep doing it, as a thick white smoke was blowing down over the road. I reported it about another 3 times before they were served with an enforcement, and thankfully it's stopped now.

If you don’t want to speak to them directly put a note through the door asking them to desist or suggesting what time you do think is acceptable . Although I think it’s antisocial behaviour twice a week isn’t actually a great deal , I’d also look at your window / door seals as if they are closed the smell shouldn’t be getting in to that extent . We live next door to people who BBQ and light their fire pit 4/5 x per week , it stinks but our doors and windows keep the smell out and it only affects us when we open the door .

I would complain to the Council. How can these neighbours not realise they're being anti-social.

My council has asked everyone to refrain from bonfires during this time, as people with long Covid and people with asthma. So check ur councils website and see if they have implemented this. I thought it was also neighbourly to tell direct neighbours if you were doing a bonfire, there is also rules on when u light it. I would say something or water your plants and spray it over the fence, directing all the smoke in there direction, with an ooohhhh, sorry. Then pretend to tell ur kid off.

Local borough councils have different bylaws about garden bonfires but there is an underlying statutory duty to investigates smoke and fines that cause a 'statutory nuisance'

www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules

Unless your council has set rules (Google it) they'll consider it along lines of :-
How often set bonfires?
How long for ?
At what time?
What they burn ?

So a 5 hour fire, one set in the morning (not late evening), one where they burn plastics or noxious items and frequent bonfires ... all should trigger council acting upon your complaint to give them an abatement order to stop.

Read the link and put it in writing same as you wrote on here - but also with dates and times... - in your complaint letter to the council

I wouldn't try to talk to those neighbours as no one is stupid enough to burn all day from morning constantly and to Chuck plastics in bonfire without realising they are impacting on neighbours in a residential area,

Thanks for further advice and thanks for the useful link @Notwavingbutdrowing3.