Neighbour bbq smoke

[Heathershimmerwinner]

Hi. My neighbour round the back has a raised bbq area. He has bbqs twice a day, not kidding. It’s getting a bit too much. The smell of the smoke is making me feel sick. We don’t get on with him as it is. So speaking to him is out the question. My washing constantly smells of smoke. I wouldn’t bother if he barbecued now and again. But it’s twice a day.

It's awful isn't it. 2 doors down Jesus I don't know what they're cooking but it smells like dead bodies!! That and their constantly whining kids I don't really use my garden in good weather.

Bloody hell though, 2 bbqs a day, surely he’ll get bored of it soon.

There is a reasonable level of behaviour to suck up - the occasional BBQ or late night party. Ideally with a quick word with the neighbours - “I’m about to fire up the BBQ- noticed you had washing out “ or “ring the bell if it gets too loud”

At least round here

and before anyone judges - this is a mixed estate of private and social housing mostly semis so pretty middle of the road culturally

once it gets to weekly it starts to be antisocial

daily - way beyond normal societal acceptable

The Thing is the bbq is well away from his house, it’s right up at the top level of his garden facing my back garden and house. So all the smoke gets blown into my side. I wouldn’t bother if it was a few times a week but this is ridiculous. It’s been going on since 10 this morning for gods sake.

And equally if you live in close quarters with others you are middle of them and realise you can’t necessarily do everything you want if it impacts them.

No?

@Heathershimmerwinner on the assumption that he is using a charcoal bbq, I have a left field suggestion for you. Buy him one of these:
https://www.bbqworld.co.uk/weber-barbecues/accessories/weber-chimney-starter.asp

No BBQ should smoke excessively, and I am guessing a charcoal one as most people don't get the coals hot enough before cooking, hence the smoke.

One of these will enable him to get the charcoal burning more quickly, and to the correct temperature, and will ultimately reduce smoke. Not completely, but to a potentially less offensive level. It may be an olive branch for better future relations too. There are cheaper ones on the market, you should be able to get one for £10-12.

Otherwise, there isn't much you can do about it.

Not on a daily basis and the council have rules for things like garden fires, which would suggest they might be on OPs side. You might find it fine, but the council have environmental health for this reason.

OP does not have to accept it as you say. Many councils will support OPs complaint. Why do you support the neighbours but not OP? Why are you happy about OP being out out but not that the neighbours just find a smoke-free way to cook?

It’s easily resolved.

So he's been cooking for 8 hours straight? Really?

I haven't said otherwise.

But everyone has different definitions of what is and isn't acceptable. Unless there's a law or restriction on when/how often people can BBQ in their gardens, OP isn't going to get far with a complaint, and will likely just cause more issues for herself long-term as you need to declare neighbour disputes when you sell (and if she rents, it could cause issues with her landlord).

I hope you never speak louder than a whisper in your garden, I don’t want to hear you.

i hope your children don’t play in the garden, I don’t want to hear it.

I think many things escape the garden…….

I assume you don't have your central heating turned on in the summer?

Garden fires are not the same as a contained BBQ.

Yep - OP doesn't need to accept it - she can complain all she likes - but she also needs to be aware of the potential (negative) consequences if she does so.

Because washing in one garden does not impact on another garden

Also, no mowing lawns, no pruning plants, no bringing in wheelie bins, no eating and clinking glasses...

I agree.
Also the smell of wood smoke is 100% nicer on clothes than synthetic flowers.

And never ever a trampoline!!

I’m sure she is. But sometimes there are no negative consequences. My friend made noise complaints and it had no bearing on her same. The noise stopped and she was happy.

Sometimes you have to stand up to dickheads. The neighbour can change the way he cooks or move his bbq and everyone can be happy.

And if the smoke is the issue, the council may view it the same way.

No I don’t.

I hang it outside to dry……

I don’t have BBQ fear though.

Just picking up the on the smoke part. Our council do differentiate between fires and bbqs. Just as they do on their allotments bbq fine, fires only permitted within the written rules per days and months.

I imagine they do, but if it’s twice daily then they may have a different point of view. I don’t know, it depends on what environmental health define as being an issue I guess. Only one way for OP to find out!

I never need to hang washing outdoors, it dries really quickly when hung on airers over the bannisters, chairs etc indoors in warm weather.
Open the windows opposite side of barbecue to avoid smoke and clothes dry in a few hours

You could bbq here all day every day and it wouldn’t be an issue. A bonfire at the wrong time for an hour they would be up your butt.

Because it’s harder to enforce a oh you can only bbq for so many hours a day per day per week type thing.

Where as no bonfires between X date and Y date is easy and doesn’t cost them a fortune is back and forth arguments.

The issue is that in order for something to be classed as a nuisance, legally, it has to be quite a lot worse than something people find annoying. The interference has to be “substantial” and more than a mere inconvenience. It will depend on the facts but this guidance does specify that smoke from cooking will not usually count as a nuisance. It will be for the OP to convince the council otherwise.

www.gov.uk/guidance/nuisance-smoke-how-councils-deal-with-complaints

Because the former is necessary and washing hung on a line doesn’t impact anyone. The latter is unnecessary and impacts others. I wouldn’t be arsed with a neighbour who barbecued a few times a week but twice a day is a nuisance.

Hose pipe. Set it on a timer to intermittently (so no one can accuse you of wasting water) spray near to the fence on to the barbeque.
Then go out.
If anyone asks you are keeping your fence wet as a firebreak due to the excessive amount of open flame/smoke inhalation danger.