Burning Rubbish In Your Garden.

[Barsel]

Is burning rubbish in your back garden illegal?
For the past few week-ends, one of my neighbours has had thick black smoke coming from his back garden, which has meant his close neighbours have had to bring washing in, close windows etc.
One of them is thinking of reporting him to our Housing Association, but I wondered if there is anything they could do about it if it isn't illegal.

[barry1010]

Even in smoke control areas bonfires are permitted.
maggiebee, smokeless zones only ever concerned what you burned in your fireplace, not in your garden

[Barsel]

Gulliver, I didn't realise you had left a comment.
First of all I would like to say you do not know the full circumstances of this problem or the people involved.
You obviously haven't read things properly or else you would see it is his next door neighbour who is getting the brunt of this and she is an elderly lady in her 90's. I failed to mention this.
This lady has asked me to find out if it is illegal to burn rubbish in your back garden in this way, and this is what I've done.
The neighbour who was travelling on the bus is a friend of hers, and she pointed this out to her .
There are several things that worry the elderly lady, one of them is the fear of finding rats in her garden and the other is the fact that although she would like to sell up and move away, nobody would ever buy her bungalow and live next door to someone like this.
I asked a simple question and you put your own spin on it and got it completely wrong.

[royfromaus]

Who would have thought it...a special bin, just for dust. Marvellous.

[Barsel]

Just to add to what I've already said. We all live in Housing Association bungalows that are part owned.
We are a small Close of 14similar bungalows that we have to keep clean and in good decorative order, it says so in our lease.
Out of the 14 bungalows he is the only neighbour that doesn't keep his home in this way. He even has a car parked on his drive which he does not use except for rubbish and it is full of rubbish.
None of us are 'upset' because we can't see in his home, we wouldn't want too, and the neighbour didn't go on the bus purposely to look in his garden.
As I said, my neighbour has asked me to find out and I will tell her what those of you have said to my question.
Thank you for the helpful answers.

[pat2604]

Yes you can have fires in your garden, but if they cause a nuisance you can contact environmental health. Thick black smoke is endangering health.

/Remember it is not illegal to have a bonfire and there are no local bye-laws preventing you having one, however you must not cause a nuisance to your neighbours. A smoky bonfire or having garden bonfires on a frequent basis may well cause a nuisance and that can be an offence.

[Barsel]

Lottie, it actually says in our lease that you should not be a nuisance to your neighbour, and although he isn't a nuisance to me as I live further down the Close, he is a nuisance to the elderly lady and I will help her anyway I can as she doesn't have the internet for emails and is deaf, so she doesn't cope well on the phone.
I think I'll advise her to write to the Housing Association and hope they can do something about it.

[pat2604]

Good idea Barsel and take no notice of Gulliver - he basically is just an old Troll who likes upsetting elderly ladies. Just ignore his nastiness.

[gulliver1]

Old Pat @ 19.50, Ha ha ha ,

[pat2604]

Gully, basically trolls are cowards in real life who get pleasure on people on line They pick on the vulnerable. Fortunately I'm not vulnerable. In real life you wouldn't stand a chance. You hide behind a computer. Very sad.

[gulliver1]

20.20 Pot and kettle again .

[Ryzen]

Gully gets wound up when anyone mentions a bus :-)

[Ken4155]

If thick black smoke is billowing onto the main road, surely it's a hazard to motorists who use the road. For that reason alone he should be prevented from having garden fires.

[anneasquith]

Might it be possible that this man has some serious physical/ mental health issues ?

[douglas9401]

The term 'thick black smoke' is an offensive throwback to 1970s American films and has been reported.