Are there any bye-laws regarding bonfires?
It is a commonly held belief that byelaws exist in many parts of the country that control bonfires and some restrict bonfires to after dusk. In fact, there are no byelaws in Elmbridge, or any other Council area in the UK (that we are aware of) that control bonfires. Byelaws can only be created where they are approved by the relevant Government Minister and we understand that approval of byelaws to control bonfires would not be approved. There is national legislation that: • makes the emission of dark smoke from a bonfire on a business or commercial site an offence (defined under the Clean Air Act) • allows the Council to take legal action where it has good evidence that a bonfire on any premises has caused a statutory nuisance. Find out |further information and advice about bonfires and the alternatives.
