Council considers ban on garden bonfires

A garden bonfire is a large, controlled outdoor fire, often used to dispose of dry garden waste or for celebrations

A west London council is considering creating a by-law to ban people from having bonfires in their gardens, with the aim of reducing pollution.

The proposal by Hammersmith and Fulham Council would prevent burning household or garden waste outside, but would not apply to barbecues, domestic fire-pits and indoor wood burning, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

According to Public Health England, deaths from particulate air pollution in Hammersmith and Fulham in 2023 were one per cent above the England average.

A new by-law can take up to six months to establish, requires a public consultation and the outline of the by-law must also be approved by the Secretary of State.

'No safe level'

Particulate pollution (PM) refers to the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air that can be either naturally occurring or human-made.

The council must carry out studies of the borough's domestic wood burning emissions and an analysis on the impacts of outdoor fires on public health.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, councils must investigate smoke complaints if it is considered a "statutory nuisance" which can lead to an abatement notice requiring it to stop or be reduced.

However, Hammersmith and Fulham Council says this law is "reactive" - it only applies if someone complains and doesn't ban burning outright, hence their proposed by-law.

"Outdoor fires and wood burning create harmful particulate matter emissions, for which it is considered there is no safe level," a report by the council said.

"Short term exposure to high particulate matter emissions can cause asthma episodes and play a part in a multitude of other longer-term effects."

The by-law would have "climate adaptation and resilience benefits" reducing the risk of fires becoming "out of control" in warmer and drier weather, the report added.