Bonfire and smoke complaints

Investigation and enforcement

Once we receive your report, our team will review the details. We may contact you to confirm information or ask for additional context.

Unfortunately, immediate solutions to these types of complaints are rarely available. We appreciate your patience as we work through the process.

Providing evidence

You will usually be asked to keep a diary of when the smoke occurs to help us understand the issue better.

Contacting the source of the noise

In many cases, we will contact the person causing the smoke. Often, they are unaware of the problem, and this step can resolve things quickly.

Further investigation

If the smoke continues, we may visit your property to gather further evidence.

This helps us determine whether the smoke constitutes a statutory nuisance.

Taking formal action

If the smoke is found to be a statutory nuisance, we can issue a formal Abatement Notice. This requires the person responsible to stop the nuisance.

Failure to comply with the notice is an offence and may lead to:

  • prosecution
  • other legal action to stop the disturbance

Page last modified: 28 January 2026