Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

"rufus" rufus.nomailplease wrote in message
...
Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!


Garden bonfires are not banned, (well not here anyway) BUT, you can be
clobbered for pollution AND causing a nuisance to your neighbours.

Rather like the Data Protection Act, know how to use it ;-))

Mike


--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

On 02/08/2011 17:24, rufus wrote:
Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I only ever burn stuff that is tinder dry, on a day when the wind is
away from habitation and with enough airspace that it flash burns. The
snag is that this can alarm the neighbours as the flames go quite high.

I did once get the fire brigade called out to one of my garden bonfires
of bone dry raspberry canes. By the time they arrived it was a small
innocent looking pile of grey ash in front of the greenhouse. They were
surprisingly magnanimous about it considering it was a Sunday afternoon.

There is almost no smoke if you do it right. People who set fire to huge
piles of soggy wet leaves in autumn and leave them to smoulder forever
annoy me too. Causing unnecessary smoke pollution is an offence but
seldom prosecuted. I don't live in a smokeless zone so I can even burn
real coal...

OTOH I don't see why nicotine addicts should not suffer for their
harmful addiction. It would not be legal to sell tobacco today if the
toxicology and harm done by smoking it was properly taken into account.

That they are all outside puffing away frantically in a half built bus
shelter mid winter at -10C shows just how powerful the addiction is!

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases
- try your LA web site.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Highways (Amendment) Act
1986 can be used to control problems resulting from bonfires such as
persistent [1] nuisance to neighbours and dense smoke causing hazard
for traffic.

[1] A typical bonfire once or twice a year is unlikely to be
considered a persistent or statutory nuisance, particularly if thought
is given to the timing of the burn and wind direction.

rbel

On 02/08/11 20:02, Martin Brown wrote:
On 02/08/2011 17:24, rufus wrote:
Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I only ever burn stuff that is tinder dry, on a day when the wind is
away from habitation and with enough airspace that it flash burns. The
snag is that this can alarm the neighbours as the flames go quite high.

I did once get the fire brigade called out to one of my garden bonfires
of bone dry raspberry canes. By the time they arrived it was a small
innocent looking pile of grey ash in front of the greenhouse. They were
surprisingly magnanimous about it considering it was a Sunday afternoon.

There is almost no smoke if you do it right. People who set fire to huge
piles of soggy wet leaves in autumn and leave them to smoulder forever
annoy me too. Causing unnecessary smoke pollution is an offence but
seldom prosecuted. I don't live in a smokeless zone so I can even burn
real coal...

OTOH I don't see why nicotine addicts should not suffer for their
harmful addiction. It would not be legal to sell tobacco today if the
toxicology and harm done by smoking it was properly taken into account.

That they are all outside puffing away frantically in a half built bus
shelter mid winter at -10C shows just how powerful the addiction is!

Regards,
Martin Brown


Two reasons why I got interested in the topic. First, our LA has gone
environmental and spent a lot of money developing the local dump,
providing compost facilities, etc. To pay for this, they raised the
cost to commercial users, with the result that self-employed jobbing
gardeners and such now won't use the dump, and burn the rubbish in situ,
thus achieving the exact opposite of what the council aimed at.

More important: we do ban coal smoke and tobacco smoke, so is wood and
leaf smoke all that different? Do we know whether it has similar
carcinogenic tars or not?

rbel wrote in message ...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases
- try your LA web site.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Highways (Amendment) Act
1986 can be used to control problems resulting from bonfires such as
persistent [1] nuisance to neighbours and dense smoke causing hazard
for traffic.

[1] A typical bonfire once or twice a year is unlikely to be
considered a persistent or statutory nuisance, particularly if thought
is given to the timing of the burn and wind direction.


I would say it depends on the size of your garden and the proximity of your
neighbours. If you have a fairly small garden with close neighbours it will
certainly annoy them if you light one up too often.
Luckily, although my garden is narrow it is 156 yards long so I can burn
away to my heart's content half way down and no-one notices.
My council offer a brown bin for £26/year for disposing of garden waste,
emptied once a fortnight.
I could fill it easily in a few days at this time of year.

I do compost, but the woody cuttings, I allow to dry on top of the compost
heap and then I have a bonfire.

Tina

In article , rufus says...

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I once lived in an area (can't remember which), where there was a local
byelaw banning bonfires on Mondays - it was always regarded as wahing
day!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

On 03/08/2011 12:52, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In , rufus says...

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I once lived in an area (can't remember which), where there was a local
byelaw banning bonfires on Mondays - it was always regarded as wahing
day!


We live in the country opposite a roofing contractor who burns his
waste, as you can imagine the roof lining issues black smoke and smells
awful. Contacted the environmental agencies, all they did was to ensure
that he had a licence for transporting it (income you see). As regards
the rest they said to keep a diary and contact them next time he did it.
As you can guess he only does it on Bank holidays and Sundays, so no
reply from the council!

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
On 03/08/2011 12:52, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In , rufus says...

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I once lived in an area (can't remember which), where there was a local
byelaw banning bonfires on Mondays - it was always regarded as wahing
day!


We live in the country opposite a roofing contractor who burns his waste,
as you can imagine the roof lining issues black smoke and smells awful.
Contacted the environmental agencies, all they did was to ensure that he
had a licence for transporting it (income you see). As regards the rest
they said to keep a diary and contact them next time he did it. As you can
guess he only does it on Bank holidays and Sundays, so no reply from the
council!

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire


How 'friendly' do you want to stay with this chap? There are 'ways' and
'ways' of going about it. Some of the 'ways' may be long winded, but with a
little patience and determination and you are in the right, you can win.

Been there, done that, had roads moved, roads altered and more.

The secret is that you must be in the right and you must stand firm. People
WILL respect you for your stance and turn to you to fight their battle. (The
council wanted to apply planning permission to a piece of land they owned
and sell it. Some people got in touch with me ;-) That land was granted
Wildlife Land with a preservation order or something was placed on it)

Mike


--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

On Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:21:21 +0100, Moonraker
wrote:

On 03/08/2011 12:52, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In , rufus says...

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I once lived in an area (can't remember which), where there was a local
byelaw banning bonfires on Mondays - it was always regarded as wahing
day!


We live in the country opposite a roofing contractor who burns his
waste, as you can imagine the roof lining issues black smoke and smells
awful. Contacted the environmental agencies, all they did was to ensure
that he had a licence for transporting it (income you see). As regards
the rest they said to keep a diary and contact them next time he did it.
As you can guess he only does it on Bank holidays and Sundays, so no
reply from the council!

Is this roofer's property industrial or residential (i.e is he burning
commercial waste in the garden of his home)? Use of private premises
for commercial purposes may breach planning consents.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty of care on every
business to make sure that all waste produced is disposed of in a
suitable manner. Burning of waste is not considered as appropriate and
anyone found disposing of waste in breach of their duty of care
responsibilities risks being prosecuted and fined on conviction.

The Clean Air Act 1993 makes it an offence to burn anything on an
industrial or trade premises that gives rise to dark smoke. This would
include plastic, insulating materials (e.g. foam), tyres and
treated/painted wood. Offences made under this legislation incur a
maximum penalty of £20,000 for each offence.

Anyone lighting a fire and allowing it to drift across a highway may
be committing an offence under the Highways (Amendment) Act 1986.
Potential fine for this is £2,000.

Do you have other neighbours who could join in a complaint? It may
also be helpful to take photos of the smoke from the next bonfire. If
you can't contact the Council on bank holidays/Sundays, get the home
number(s) of your local councillor(s) and phone them each and every
time. If National Government agencies are unhelpful, write to your MP.

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:21:21 +0100, Moonraker
wrote:

On 03/08/2011 12:52, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In , rufus says...

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

I once lived in an area (can't remember which), where there was a local
byelaw banning bonfires on Mondays - it was always regarded as wahing
day!


We live in the country opposite a roofing contractor who burns his
waste, as you can imagine the roof lining issues black smoke and smells
awful. Contacted the environmental agencies, all they did was to ensure
that he had a licence for transporting it (income you see). As regards
the rest they said to keep a diary and contact them next time he did it.
As you can guess he only does it on Bank holidays and Sundays, so no
reply from the council!

Is this roofer's property industrial or residential (i.e is he burning
commercial waste in the garden of his home)? Use of private premises
for commercial purposes may breach planning consents.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty of care on every
business to make sure that all waste produced is disposed of in a
suitable manner. Burning of waste is not considered as appropriate and
anyone found disposing of waste in breach of their duty of care
responsibilities risks being prosecuted and fined on conviction.

The Clean Air Act 1993 makes it an offence to burn anything on an
industrial or trade premises that gives rise to dark smoke. This would
include plastic, insulating materials (e.g. foam), tyres and
treated/painted wood. Offences made under this legislation incur a
maximum penalty of £20,000 for each offence.

Anyone lighting a fire and allowing it to drift across a highway may
be committing an offence under the Highways (Amendment) Act 1986.
Potential fine for this is £2,000.

Do you have other neighbours who could join in a complaint? It may
also be helpful to take photos of the smoke from the next bonfire. If
you can't contact the Council on bank holidays/Sundays, get the home
number(s) of your local councillor(s) and phone them each and every
time. If National Government agencies are unhelpful, write to your MP.

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

""Bull"" and ""China Shop"" are not in your vocab are they?

You must live in a field with no neighbours. Lucky you ;-(

Mike


--

....................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

....................................

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

rbel wrote in message ...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases
- try your LA web site.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Highways (Amendment) Act
1986 can be used to control problems resulting from bonfires such as
persistent [1] nuisance to neighbours and dense smoke causing hazard
for traffic.

[1] A typical bonfire once or twice a year is unlikely to be
considered a persistent or statutory nuisance, particularly if thought
is given to the timing of the burn and wind direction.


I would say it depends on the size of your garden and the proximity of
your neighbours. If you have a fairly small garden with close neighbours
it will certainly annoy them if you light one up too often.
Luckily, although my garden is narrow it is 156 yards long so I can burn
away to my heart's content half way down and no-one notices.
My council offer a brown bin for £26/year for disposing of garden waste,
emptied once a fortnight.
I could fill it easily in a few days at this time of year.

I do compost, but the woody cuttings, I allow to dry on top of the compost
heap and then I have a bonfire.

Tina


What you want is a shredder. Big stuff goes in the woodstore for the stove
in the house.
Small stuff goes through the shredder and is composted or used as mulch
under shrubs etc.
Never need to light a fire.

"harryagain" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

rbel wrote in message
...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases
- try your LA web site.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Highways (Amendment) Act
1986 can be used to control problems resulting from bonfires such as
persistent [1] nuisance to neighbours and dense smoke causing hazard
for traffic.

[1] A typical bonfire once or twice a year is unlikely to be
considered a persistent or statutory nuisance, particularly if thought
is given to the timing of the burn and wind direction.


I would say it depends on the size of your garden and the proximity of
your neighbours. If you have a fairly small garden with close neighbours
it will certainly annoy them if you light one up too often.
Luckily, although my garden is narrow it is 156 yards long so I can burn
away to my heart's content half way down and no-one notices.
My council offer a brown bin for £26/year for disposing of garden waste,
emptied once a fortnight.
I could fill it easily in a few days at this time of year.

I do compost, but the woody cuttings, I allow to dry on top of the
compost heap and then I have a bonfire.

Tina


What you want is a shredder. Big stuff goes in the woodstore for the
stove in the house.
Small stuff goes through the shredder and is composted or used as mulch
under shrubs etc.
Never need to light a fire.

I do have a shredder but there is a limit to the amount of mulch I can use.

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"harryagain" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

rbel wrote in message
...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases
- try your LA web site.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Highways (Amendment) Act
1986 can be used to control problems resulting from bonfires such as
persistent [1] nuisance to neighbours and dense smoke causing hazard
for traffic.

[1] A typical bonfire once or twice a year is unlikely to be
considered a persistent or statutory nuisance, particularly if thought
is given to the timing of the burn and wind direction.


I would say it depends on the size of your garden and the proximity of
your neighbours. If you have a fairly small garden with close
neighbours it will certainly annoy them if you light one up too often.
Luckily, although my garden is narrow it is 156 yards long so I can burn
away to my heart's content half way down and no-one notices.
My council offer a brown bin for £26/year for disposing of garden waste,
emptied once a fortnight.
I could fill it easily in a few days at this time of year.

I do compost, but the woody cuttings, I allow to dry on top of the
compost heap and then I have a bonfire.

Tina


What you want is a shredder. Big stuff goes in the woodstore for the
stove in the house.
Small stuff goes through the shredder and is composted or used as mulch
under shrubs etc.
Never need to light a fire.

I do have a shredder but there is a limit to the amount of mulch I can
use.


And not everyone has a stove to burn the big stuff.

--
Kathy

In message , Kathy
writes
"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

"harryagain" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

rbel wrote in message
m...
On Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:24:48 +0100, rufus rufus.nomailplease wrote:

Given concern about pollution, recycling, energy conservation, etc I
wondered how widely local authorities in UK have banned the burning of
garden rubbish? Locally, I have seen tobacco smokers being driven back
into their workplaces by clouds of smoke from garden bonfires!

There is no national legislation that bans garden bonfires. Some LAs
may have bylaws controlling them but I am not aware of specific cases


I do compost, but the woody cuttings, I allow to dry on top of the
compost heap and then I have a bonfire.

What you want is a shredder. Big stuff goes in the woodstore for
the stove in the house.
Small stuff goes through the shredder and is composted or used as
mulch under shrubs etc.
Never need to light a fire.

I do have a shredder but there is a limit to the amount of mulch I
can use.


And not everyone has a stove to burn the big stuff.


But it can probably be given away to someone who does
--
Chris French