Consider your neighbours before lighting a bonfire

Date: 

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

In light of the current Coronavirus pandemic, the Council is asking residents to be considerate to their neighbours by not lighting bonfires or using wood burners during the lockdown period.

Whilst there are no laws or by-laws preventing residents from having bonfires within the Borough, the smoke, ash and odour created by bonfires often has an impact on surrounding residents and, most severely, on residents suffering from respiratory symptoms or those who are vulnerable.

Smoke created by bonfires also cause additional anti-social and dangerous side effects, such as entering people's houses, blowing across gardens and preventing your neighbours normal use of their gardens, affecting people's washing and blowing across a highway (road or footpath).

Whilst Community Recycles Centres remain closed, please consider alternatives to burning, such as:

  • home composting, subscribing to the Council’s garden waste collection service
  • arranging for your bulky waste to be collected
  • holding on to it until recycling centres reopen.

For more information, email Environmental Health at environmental.health@woking.gov.uk or phone 01483 743 840.

Read more about bonfires