Spotlight Magazines Spotlight Magazine Mansfield South November 2015 | Page 8

Spotlight Magazine

Bonfires

November seems a good month to talk about
bonfires. I’m not actually a huge fan of the
garden bonfire; I think that generally there are
better ways of disposing of garden waste. Most
green waste, such as
leaves or grass can be
recycled.
Woody waste can be
shredded and either
composted or used as
mulch, though it may
be more cost-effective
to hire a shredder rather
than buy one outright if
your garden is small.
But if wood is diseased
a bonfire may be the
best way to deal with
it. So what are the rules
regarding garden bonfires?

Rather surprisingly there are no specific laws
against having a bonfire, or when you can have
one. There may be local by-laws though: laws
made by a local authority and applicable only in
a defined geographical area.
Phone your council or check their website for
further information. If you rent a property you’ll
need to check under your tenancy agreement
too, in order to find out whether bonfires are
permitted.
Laws about bonfires are generally concerned
with their potential nuisance value. So you can’t
burn plastics, or painted household waste which
may produce toxic fumes or thick smoke harmful
to asthma sufferers.
Also, the Highways Act states that it is an offence
to light a bonfire near a road if the drifting
smoke may cause a traffic hazard.
Mostly though bonfires are all about common
sense. The smoke and smell from a fire might

8

annoy your neighbours, especially if it prevents
them from opening their windows or hanging
out their washing.
It’s polite to warn your neighbours beforehand;
they may have an
outdoor party planned
or want to spend the
afternoon pottering in
their garden.
Light your bonfire at a
time least likely to cause
a nuisance – remember
on a warm sunny day
people are more likely to
be out in their garden,
enjoying it.
Only burn dry material
because damp material
creates a lot of smoke.
The other issue with bonfires is, of course, safety.
Bonfire Safety Check-list
Build the bonfire away from sheds, fences and
trees
Don’t build it too large and make sure it’s
stable, so it won’t collapse outwards or to one
side.
Check the bonfire for hibernating wildlife.
Don’t use petrol or paraffin to start the fire as
these accelerate the flames and may cause the
fire to burn out of control.
Keep