Bonfires and Burning
Businesses must comply with the law on waste management in deciding how to dispose of their waste. It is generally unlawful to burn waste arising from a business, but there are some exemptions. Further advice should be sought from the Environment Agency.
Builders are legally allowed to burn vegetation cleared on a site. They cannot bring material from other sites to burn and general waste should not be burned along with it. Builders are encouraged to ensure that material is clean and dry and that all due care is taken to avoid nuisance to neighbours.
For demolition sites, it is usual for clean dry wood to be burned, but wood that has been painted, tarred or treated in some other way (and all other waste) must be taken away for proper disposal. It is an offence to burn material that emits dark smoke.
Dark smoke
It is an offence to emit dark smoke from industrial or trade premises. Dark smoke may be emitted from chimneys for limited periods under certain circumstances, but the effect of the law is that every reasonable step must be taken to prevent such an emission.
Dark smoke from open burning (bonfires) on industrial or trade premises is a serious environmental offence and the District Council will usually investigate incidents with a view to formal proceedings against offenders.
Somerset Air Quality 