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Stop lighting bonfires - |Angry (9th Oct 2021 - 17:57:59) Given Government advice to let fresh air into buildings added to the fact that it's been a pleasant, sunny day so windows are open and people are outside it would be nice if the Liphook pyromaniacs would get a grip of themselves for once and STOP HAVING BONFIRES. You might like to stink and not care if your home stinks but some of us quite like clean air.

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - AF (9th Oct 2021 - 18:42:22) It is the Autumn a traditional time for bonfires. It is one of the aspects of country living, if it's an issue you could move to a city.

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - A. S. Tonished (9th Oct 2021 - 19:02:00) Dear Angry, There is no law against lighting bonfires. You do not get to make laws. You do not get to say "stop" to something purely because it inconveniences you. Government advice is not against lighting bonfires, period. Get over yourself. The world does not revolve around you. Do you never do things that annoy your neighbours? Making too much noise? Having late night parties? Leaving your engine running for ten minutes in the morning while people are trying to sleep in? No? Obviously you are a model neighbour, and we would all love to live next door to you.

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - Angry (10th Oct 2021 - 09:55:46) It actually annoys lots of people in Liphook if you look at many previous Talkback posts. Lots of councils have asked people to refrain from having fires during the pandemic. Eg: 'We are all in an unprecedented public health emergency trying to control the coronavirus, Covid-19. The virus brings about respiratory problems for the people who have it. Burning any form of open fire during these times would be highly inconsiderate. Please be particularly mindful of people around you during these times.' But if you like your washing to have that just burnt smell... As for tradition - well there are a lot of things that were acceptable that are no longer. And as for moving to a city - have you seen The Square at school run time! Burning is pollution no matter what it is - there is waste centre 10 mins away to dispose of rubbish. As an aside I don't leave my car running for 10 mins every morning, nor have late night parties and whilst I am surely not the perfect neighbour I actually do try to be considerate - not mowing my lawn early in the morning at weekends etc. As for the law did I say it was illegal - no. But from Gov.uk: 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. 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. Councils must look into complaints about smoke from premises that could be a ‘statutory nuisance’ (covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990). For the smoke to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following: unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises injure health or be likely to injure health If they agree that a statutory nuisance is happening, has happened or will happen in the future, councils must serve an abatement notice. This requires whoever’s responsible to stop or restrict the smoke.

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - Penny Williamson (10th Oct 2021 - 13:25:22) As with many things in our society at the moment it comes down to balance, respect and consideration. There is no law in this country that prevents people lighting a bonfire in their own garden providing it is garden or domestic waste. However if the bonfire causes a nuisance to neighbours this could be seen as an offence with the usual penal fines. I agree with AF and A.S.Tonished in that the autumn has always been considered the time to have a bonfire, but this must be done with consideration by the owner of the bonfire and a degree of tolerance by neighbours. At this time of year most people do not hang their washing out as even on the sunniest days washing remains damp. Also windows are not open in the same way as they are in the summer particularly in the evenings when people put their heating on. So everyone needs to compromise and if you see, for example, a neighbour has washing in the garden and their windows open don’t light a bonfire during the day – waiting until dusk. Compromise and tolerance is a two way thing and considering one’s neighbour works both ways.

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - J (10th Oct 2021 - 14:20:24) Hi Penny A beautiful, sensible and polite response. Excellent. J

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - John Jonson (10th Oct 2021 - 19:11:47) Well said Penny Williamson, Indeed, arguments these days seem to suffer over-simplification and lack of manners. Also, when it comes to incinerating garden/domestic waste in a bonfire, we should remember that the law was fixed decades ago, and many cut-backs ago. Since then many added restrictions/charges/complications were imposed on us in dealing with waste. Perhaps it's time the law should take into account the current inconvenience and costs of domestic/garden waste collection (small quotas, infrequent, unreliable collections, prohibited materials/items, restrictive dumpsite, etc) and allow for controlled incinerations. Another thought: Perhaps a forum like this one can serve as a point of contact for recycling. One persons waste autumn leaves is another's excellent source of garden leaf-mould etc...

Re: Stop lighting bonfires - Local resident (11th Oct 2021 - 11:55:56) easthants.gov.uk/garden-waste-service-waiting-list I don’t have a garden waste bin - and i can’t get one. So i shall be following penny’s sage advice, and having a bonfire in my garden. At least i won’t be melting down blocks of scrap lead on it to make fishing weights,. Which is what we used to do on our garden bonfire when i was a kid. Eek! Imagine how ‘angry’ that would make people now…!

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