When are garden bonfires acceptable?
Discussion
We have an issue with our neighbour over the back having regular very smoky bonfires. Last year he had one so close to the fence that it set it alight.
I would guess that he is having 2 or 3 bonfires a month at the moment. He started one about half an hour ago, within about an hour of the window cleaner having done 3 houses on our road including ours. Thick grey smoke and so much ash that my MX-5 now looks like it's been through a nuclear winter and I daren't pull back the blinds on the previously clean Velux windows. Our neighbours have gone out for a walk leaving their washing on the line, and even with our windows closed our house now smells.
Our council website says there are no byelaws regarding bonfires, but if they are frequent and a nuisance to contact them and they will look into it.
My worry is that if I email them, due to previous occurrences the neighbour will put 2 + 2 together, realise it us, and it could cause friction between us that I am keen to avoid.
I could talk to him to try to reach a compromise, but to be honest I can see no reason to have a bonfire in a residential area - we have had to dispose of a lot of garden waste, and we have taken it to the tip as I thought a bonfire would be antisocial.
What does the PH massive think?
I would guess that he is having 2 or 3 bonfires a month at the moment. He started one about half an hour ago, within about an hour of the window cleaner having done 3 houses on our road including ours. Thick grey smoke and so much ash that my MX-5 now looks like it's been through a nuclear winter and I daren't pull back the blinds on the previously clean Velux windows. Our neighbours have gone out for a walk leaving their washing on the line, and even with our windows closed our house now smells.
Our council website says there are no byelaws regarding bonfires, but if they are frequent and a nuisance to contact them and they will look into it.
My worry is that if I email them, due to previous occurrences the neighbour will put 2 + 2 together, realise it us, and it could cause friction between us that I am keen to avoid.
I could talk to him to try to reach a compromise, but to be honest I can see no reason to have a bonfire in a residential area - we have had to dispose of a lot of garden waste, and we have taken it to the tip as I thought a bonfire would be antisocial.
What does the PH massive think?
We live in a little village and most of us burn garden waste quite frequently.
The common etiquette (sp?) seems to be to wait until twilight / dark when most folks are inside. Its not a formal agreement between neighbours, just something we all seem to do out of consideration for others.
Every so often there are fires out of this time, but a quick shout over the fence normally results in extinguishing if someone's got washing out, etc...
May be its worth chatting about it and asking if they'll wait until twilight? FIres at night are much nicer anyway!
The common etiquette (sp?) seems to be to wait until twilight / dark when most folks are inside. Its not a formal agreement between neighbours, just something we all seem to do out of consideration for others.
Every so often there are fires out of this time, but a quick shout over the fence normally results in extinguishing if someone's got washing out, etc...
May be its worth chatting about it and asking if they'll wait until twilight? FIres at night are much nicer anyway!
I was looking this up online last night. I just bought one of those bins for burning garden waste and wanted to know the rules around using it. So; there are no bylaws covering this issue, but bonfires can count as a ‘nuisance’ (Environmental Protection act). This said that if the smoke is causing neighbours problems (makes the house smell or ruining your washing) then it is an offence. Another core point was ‘what is he burning?’ You can only burn garden waste at home.
Ah, I can stop typing now, because I’ve found the link. This should answer your question. http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/neighbo...
Ah, I can stop typing now, because I’ve found the link. This should answer your question. http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/neighbo...
monkey gland said:
In light of that, and playing Devil's advocate - it will probably just please him that his frequent bonfires causes you distress.
It does seem to be the case, doesn't it! Get your hosepipe out next time, grass him up to the tax authorities and burn HIS fence down.
(Could nuke him from orbit as well, I guess)
He could be doing it out of spite, but I've been nothing but polite and civil to him, even when he took 6 months to fix the fence and I had to remind him a couple of times! I think he's just rather thick skinned. It all started rather badly when they came round to ask why we had objected to their plans and his wife tried to use emotional blackmail saying that they wanted more kids and didn't have the room. I'm still not sure why that was my problem...
I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
NiceCupOfTea said:
He could be doing it out of spite, but I've been nothing but polite and civil to him, even when he took 6 months to fix the fence and I had to remind him a couple of times! I think he's just rather thick skinned. It all started rather badly when they came round to ask why we had objected to their plans and his wife tried to use emotional blackmail saying that they wanted more kids and didn't have the room. I'm still not sure why that was my problem...
I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
Why DID you object? Planning is a funny old business for getting peoples backs up.I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
Lots of reasons really. Out of character with the area, bungalows on either side so set a precedent for development, it overlooks our garden, that sort of thing. We weren't just being petty. We did ask the planning office to keep it anonymous to try to avoid bad feeling, but they didn't. There were 3 or 4 other objections that we know about.
Jonathan27 said:
... Another core point was ‘what is he burning?’ You can only burn garden waste at home.
...
So, out of interest are "bonfire night" fires where you burn wood (painted, of course), MDF and small children as well as the normal garden waste now illegal? We used to have that type of thing every year until a few years ago, mind you ALL the neighbours came!...
We had a neighbour move in who only started them when it was windy, and blowing away from his house to ours!
garyhun said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
He could be doing it out of spite, but I've been nothing but polite and civil to him, even when he took 6 months to fix the fence and I had to remind him a couple of times! I think he's just rather thick skinned. It all started rather badly when they came round to ask why we had objected to their plans and his wife tried to use emotional blackmail saying that they wanted more kids and didn't have the room. I'm still not sure why that was my problem...
I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
Why DID you object? Planning is a funny old business for getting peoples backs up.I think it's mostly garden rubbish they're burning.
As the OP can now see, the initial thought that this 'wasn't his problem' was wrong - it's his problem now! One of life's lessons, never s
t in someone elses plans if you don't have a very good reason.NiceCupOfTea said:
Lots of reasons really. Out of character with the area, bungalows on either side so set a precedent for development, it overlooks our garden, that sort of thing. We weren't just being petty. We did ask the planning office to keep it anonymous to try to avoid bad feeling, but they didn't. There were 3 or 4 other objections that we know about.
All objection letters are listed on council websites these days in the planning history - no such thing as anonymity. What I do not understand with some people putting in planning is that they fail to tell their neighbours beforehand. It always pays to talk it over and get feedback and IF the objections are "valid" (i.e. have basis in planning policy and not just NIMBYism) then you have an opportunity to make amends before going to planning so that it's more likely to be passed.
garyhun said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Lots of reasons really. Out of character with the area, bungalows on either side so set a precedent for development, it overlooks our garden, that sort of thing. We weren't just being petty. We did ask the planning office to keep it anonymous to try to avoid bad feeling, but they didn't. There were 3 or 4 other objections that we know about.
All objection letters are listed on council websites these days in the planning history - no such thing as anonymity. What I do not understand with some people putting in planning is that they fail to tell their neighbours beforehand. It always pays to talk it over and get feedback and IF the objections are "valid" (i.e. have basis in planning policy and not just NIMBYism) then you have an opportunity to make amends before going to planning so that it's more likely to be passed.
There are a couple of neighbours near me that had this problem. No1 wanted to build a new house in the back garden, but it was crap. Even the council said the design was crap. If they had talked with their objecting neighbour and worked out a decent design the neighbour would have been fine. No2 just didn't want something crap right up against her boundary - they could have moved it on the plot next to a garage and got permission without any trouble.
For our own build we had a neighbour tell us they were fine with it, when they'd actually written a strong objection. Neighbours who simply rejected the design I can forgive, but lying weasels I have not time for. Luckily they moved away. The planning system is the UK is a good way to annoy people.
Going a bit off topic chaps, but our objection didn't really count for anything as the plans went through and they built it. IIRC the concession was some frosted windows which mysteriously seem to have lost their frosting...
The first we knew about it was the planning dept. dropping through the door giving us notice of the application. They turned up on the doorstep out of the blue after we replied to the planning department. We were caught a bit on the back foot and agreed to go round to theirs to discuss it. The more we thought about it after the event, the more we knew it wouldn't change our minds re the overlooking of our garden (remember, this was from a bungalow to a 3 floor house!) so we sent them a note thanking them for the invitation but declining as we still had reservations.
Without being doormats I don't see what we could have done to avoid any grief. The thing that floored me was her saying they needed an extension as they wanted more children, as if it were some kind of trump card!
Anyway, they got their way and built it. Not sure what they have to hold a grudge about! I really do think it's a case of not thinking of others rather than being deliberate. I hope so anyway.
The first we knew about it was the planning dept. dropping through the door giving us notice of the application. They turned up on the doorstep out of the blue after we replied to the planning department. We were caught a bit on the back foot and agreed to go round to theirs to discuss it. The more we thought about it after the event, the more we knew it wouldn't change our minds re the overlooking of our garden (remember, this was from a bungalow to a 3 floor house!) so we sent them a note thanking them for the invitation but declining as we still had reservations.
Without being doormats I don't see what we could have done to avoid any grief. The thing that floored me was her saying they needed an extension as they wanted more children, as if it were some kind of trump card!
Anyway, they got their way and built it. Not sure what they have to hold a grudge about! I really do think it's a case of not thinking of others rather than being deliberate. I hope so anyway.
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Monday 15th August 20:47
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