Neighbours manure piles

[blackbadger]

Our neighbours have a horse, and have recently started renting out space in their field for another horse. The stable block is reasonably close to our boundary. Their plot is 5 acres, ours is 0.5acre.
They have started using our boundary as their manure pile, this has been going on a while and generally no issue with it. However as there are now two horses there's obviously a lot more manure! Also one of the horses is only there at the weekend
The manure pile is right on our boundary, about probably 15m from our kitchen window and back door. For now the smell is just quite farmy, which we don't mind but slightly concerned this is going to get worse over summer, and over the Easter and summer holidays when both horses are there full time.
We get on with our neighbours so don't want to cause any issues.
But I wondered firstly where this was reasonable? I full understand it's there land, but also with so much land and no other neighbours they have an enormous area to put the manure that's not our boundary!
Secondly, is it likely this is going to get a lot stronger into summer?
And also whether there are any tips to lessen the smell? Online it seems to say vegetation, there is already a fairly extensive hedge / shrub line and we've recently planted new hedges to boost this.
We're reasonably rural and surrounded by farms so very used to smells but it's quite a lot being right outside our kitchen door and patio!

I would ask them to move it. They have a large enough plot of land that they should be able to site it away from houses.
If not, contact the environmental department of your local council.
Horses produce around 7.5 tonnes of manure each year, so it can really add up.

Definitely ask them to move it. If it's in a hedgerow it may kill it. It's really antisocial for them to do this and the flies in summer will be horrendous.

Ask them to move it. I'd change it if a neighbour I was friendly with asked. As long as it isn't over your boundary, I don't think they can be forced to move it but if you're on good terms with them, probably they would.

I think you can always ask, if the stable block is on your side and they are mucking out there is a limit to how far they can be expected to push a wheelbarrow to avoid the boundary issue and it will need to be reasonably near a gateway for tractor access to move for example. It might therefore be unlikely that they can move it to the other side of the yard. 5 acres is large but it isn't massive, it might be that the only likely location is on the boundary somewhere. I think there is certainly a discussion to be had and hopefully a compromise to be made but I am surprised that so many posters think the muck heap can just be moved anywhere else quite easily. Mine cost thousands of pounds to set up and a huge amount of effort. No neighbours to consider but on a larger site for various reasons there was only one practical location. So when you ask, which I still think you should, I just wanted to modify the just move the muck heap feedback as I don't think it is likely to be that easy a task for the land owners.

I suggest that your neighbour would be well advised to move the heap

They may need planning consent

https://www.equestrianplanningco.co.uk/horses-do-you-need-planning-permission/

There are also rules about horse manure

https://www.gov.uk/keeping-horses/dealing-with-waste

Thank you for the replies. I think we'll wait till closer to summer to get a better understanding of the impact on us before kicking up a fuss.
@CountryCob this definitely didn't cost thousands to set up. It's an open pile of manure against some MDF board, and there would definitely be places away from the boundary, and closer to the stables and field of where to put it!

That's good news @blackbadger, it sounds really likely that things will be resolved then. Didn't mean to be negative but just a bit of realism on move the heap. Best of luck with the discussions.

Given the time it might take to move it I suggest start talking NOW & hint that you have been looking at the rules

@JohnofWessex you are correct to point out that there are rules but, assuming no water courses a temporary pile for soil improvement is unlikely to have Environmental Health over asap. Also most sensible yards have a planning permission argument in their back pocket, most commonly based on long use. As a lawyer and given the consequences of neighbourhood ill feeling I think OP is sensible to hold off on the legal threat approach for now, but I agree that the issue cannot be allowed to get out of hand and would always recommend an initial conversation. Without legal threat.

Just have a word. Say the flies come into your kitchen from it as does the smell. Ask them to out it the other side if that's possible

It’s the flies that’ll be the problem.

I'd ask them to start a new heap somewhere else. The current one shouldn't be too bad by the time the hot weather arrives if they stop adding to it but the smell/flies will get a lot worse once the spring grass comes through...

Don’t wait until it becomes a problem, you’ll get flies and all sorts in your kitchen if you do that!