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Bonfires

Garden bonfires are hardly ever the best way of getting rid of rubbish. They add to air pollution and can easily cause a nuisance to neighbours.

Bonfires can produce poisonous and irritating gases. They can easily get out of control spreading to fences, buildings and scorching trees.

Although domestic bonfires are not illegal, they can be a source of considerable annoyance and are an unpleasant and potentially dangerous source of pollution.

If a garden bonfire does cause a nuisance to other households, it could constitute a Statutory Nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. An offence under this legislation could lead to a fine of up to £5,000 being levied.

There are alternative ways of disposing of garden and other waste that are much less harmful to the environment and will not cause annoyance to neighbours:

  • Green waste is collected in your brown bins weekly
  • Composting - for garden and raw kitchen waste (watch out for Council offers for composting bins)
  • Recycling - for paper, card, some plastic and glass
  • Civic Amenity Sites (tips)

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