There are no laws against having a bonfire, but there are laws for the nuisance they can cause.
Burning domestic waste
You can’t 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.
Danger to traffic by smoke
You could be fined if you light a fire and you allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic.
Complain about a neighbour’s bonfire
We can issue an ‘abatement notice’ if a neighbour’s bonfire is causing a nuisance. A bonfire must happen frequently to be considered a nuisance.
Your neighbour can be fined up to £5,000 if they don’t stick to the notice.
To make a complaint, fill in our pollution form (select 'air pollution') or call us on 01723 232323.