Garden bonfires: the rules

There are laws about burning certain types of waste and to prevent bonfires causing a nuisance.

Burning domestic waste

You cannot get rid of household waste if it will cause pollution or harm people’s health. This includes burning it.

You can get rid of household or garden waste by composting or recycling it. Contact your local council to find out how to dispose of garden waste and about recycling in your area.

You could be fined if you light a fire and allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic.

Complain about a neighbour’s bonfire

Your council has a responsibility to investigate complaints of smoke and fumes that could be a ‘statutory nuisance’.

They can issue an ‘abatement notice’ if a neighbour’s bonfire is causing a nuisance. Your neighbour can be fined if they do not follow the rules of the abatement notice.