Neighbours lit bonfire before 4pm

[Bonfiredrama]

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Op YANBU.

Your mum was out of order - a spark on the trampoline? Completely batshit reaction.

Your 6yo isn't going to explode in proximity to either smoke or swearing (although if there's an asthmatic dripfeed, that would be more understandable.)

Your mum basically told off a non-English-speaking neighbour of a house she wasn't living in, what that woman can do in her own garden. And requested a ridiculous actiuon that would cause more smoke.

Yes, it's annoying when the washing is out, and hurredly grabbing the washing in is a reasonable reaction. So is asking in future that they tell you (so you can bring the washing in).

Most people in our area have since stopped using the service now its a chargeable one..

Grass/weeds smoldering during the summer months and wet damp leaves through the winter.

They arnt allowed in our area we are clean air zoned people still have them I had one at 1am during lockdown because all the tips were closed the following week they relaxed the rules for excess paper recycling so I could have saved myself the trouble 😂

My neighbours are probably a good reason for banning them he burns everything one time he had a huge bonfire during a drought set fire to his neighbours hedge fence tree and part their garden

Joyful

It’s extremely inconsiderate to light a bonfire on a lovely day and when people have washing hanging out.

Its perfectly reasonable to complain and no need to be so rude if someone does complain.

Water would definitely be deployed if she did it again, otherwise let it lie.

yes, cehck with the coucil or if you are up to it and you will need to speak to them - politely tell them

we only dry clothing dreiirs as it makes them softer

"My mum shouted over politely: "

How do you "shout politely"??? Sorry, a genuine question as if someone shouted at me, I would not see it polite

If my next door had a fire - I would not really say anything and hope it was a one off and if our GC were outside I'd call them in

@Bringbackthebeaver I thought bonfires were banned in a lot of cities anyway. We have issues with houses next the hospital that work in having them, which then triggers the fire alarms.

Yes. But then why did you say they can do what they like in their own garden? They can't... there are rules on antisocial behaviour and that's not just in cities. Most local councils have rules about what is and isn't OK.

I was always taught that if you're planning a bonfire (in the evening not at 4pm) you let your neighbours know so that they can make sure washing is in etc.

I think that is so inconsiderate to start one when you can clearly see your neighbour has washing out and is using the garden.

Check you local council’s rules. My council wrote to my neighbours because of regular bonfires. There’s also a possible issue with the things they burn causing toxic fumes.
If they do it more, keep a log and call council.

A BBQ compared with a bonfire is really not the same thing or the same smell atall!

Your kids aren't the centre of the universe. I'd have apologised for my mum attempting to dictate what they can do in their own garden.