Why isn’t burning waste to avoid going to the dump, illegal?

[Decisionsdecisions1]

Why isn’t burning garden waste, wood etc in domestic garden banned?

Dumps exist for a reason - for the proper disposal of waste. What’s the point if people can just burn it all in their garden to avoid a trip to the dump?

Our whole house, and those of our neighbours, now stinks of smoke, including bedding (and the windows have been closed). All because someone can’t be arsed to drive 15 mins to the dump.

Totally with you on this. But I had a (gentle) moan on my local FB community group and there were quite a few people disagreeing.

Given that most councils provide garden waste bins at reasonable cost, I think burning the waste is lazy and antisocial in an urban setting. And not great for the environment, which I always find slightly ironic.

I think it would be a bit over the top to make all bonfires illegal. They are covered by statutory nuisance laws (i.e. you can complain to the council and if they’re judged to be causing a nuisance, they can be banned).

If you are in a clean air zone they are illegal. If they are causing a statutory nuisance they are also (effectively) illegal.

Our kids have many happy memories of roasting marshmallows over a fire in the garden. We'd save dry wood for ages so we could have a couple of fires on summer evenings.

Around here people tend to message the neighbours if they're planning to light a fire so no one's washing is affected.

More laws, this time forbidding everyday activities - Bleeding marvellous!

I haven’t seen a bonfire for years, used to love them

Yep totally agree - it absolutely reeks when Flaming Phil next door starts burning his garden waste. We have garden collection bins and also the tip is not far away. Its unnecessary.

We live in a clean air zone. Some of the rules No burning of waste, no bonfires on November 5th.
And for some reason no keeping of birds (pigeons) outside. Don't think the pigeons sitting on the fence
have read this rule.

My otherwise fab neighbours recently had an extension and they had bonfires all day every day in the autumn at one point. It was awful. I couldn’t put washing out and couldn’t open the windows so I was pissed off. As I said, they’re normally great so I put up with it.

They also did one on Thursday which annoyed me as I’d just put my washing out. I had to bring it in which made it double the effort which isn’t great for me! 😩

How about some easy to understand rules with clear consequences

Eg garden waste and wood only and between sunset and sunrise with no excessive smoke

I agree with you @Decisionsdecisions1.
The only time we’ve burnt any garden waste is on 5th November late in the evening. Otherwise it goes into the garden waste bin or we do a trip to the dump.

It's not a fun for the family bonfire (they don't have young kids and don't have friends round). He's clearing the garden and doing some woodwork - and avoiding going to the dump.

This.

Agree they're annoying but what are people supposed to do with garden waste if they don't have a car to get to the tip and can't afford the (not always cheap) council garden waste service?

I'm not a fan of bonfires but getting rid of garden waste is a problem so might have to consider it.

At least it's wood and garden waste he's burning. My neighbours burn plastic waste and it creates a terrible smoke that all blows towards our house. I hoped they'd stop when they had a baby, but they haven't. They've got one of the extra large wheelie bins too, so there's no need for them to burn excess waste.

I think it depends on where you are and what is burning. NDN’s builder was burning building waste and we got in touch with the council. Environment officer was there in half an hour.

Council asap its an offence

It’s wood and chopped trees/shrubs from their own garden? I couldn’t get worked up over that pretty normal in our area as we all have large gardens with lots of trees and bushes so come trimming season it’s a given.

Burning actual general waste now that’s a problem.

I think they shouldn't be allowed within a certain distance of others. We have a bit of distance and also watch for the wind direction so that the wind is blowing away from other houses. And we never burn anything other than garden waste.

Drives me crazy - our house backs on to allotments. March and October we can’t hang washing at all as people use any fine day to burn garden waste.

It terrifies me, I’ve had to call the fire brigade twice as people have let the fires get out of control, one damaged our next door neighbours fence and took a whole shed down.

It also isn’t clear that it is only garden waste they are burning, the smoke can sometimes be so toxic.

I’ve spoken to a couple of the allotment owners in the past, they are always really apologetic, claiming they only burn once/twice a year - but there are 12+ allotments which soon adds up to 24+ fires a year! When I point this out they all look a bit shame faced and it is slowly getting better but there are still a couple with no consideration!

It’s illegal in lots of places

You can complain to the council about allotment fires.

Our have them set to only between October and March and only two days a week.

Our bonfire is currently the size of a living room. We are rural and will light it when it’s dried out a bit. Will check for hedgehogs first.

Many years ago my then girlfriend was clearing her allotment

One dry day we burnt the stuff a handful at a time in an old bin, minimal smoke

My disgusting neighbour waits until it’s a sunny day and the rest of us have our washing out or the windows open and then he lights the smokiest fire and drives away. He ignores the letters from the council and the fire brigade. Calls me a cunt when I complain.