Barbecue Nuisance

If you're the unwilling subject of barbecue nuisance, here's what you need to do:

Try and deal with the originating source in the first instance. If you can safely approach your neighbours who are having their nuisance BBQ, please try this and explain politely how their BBQ is affecting you. Be calm, be courteous and be factual. Don't get personal and stick to the subject. Try and allow for a compromise and offer a friendly solution if you can.

'Mismanagement' of a neighbour issue like this which could be minor in the first instance often then 'snowballs' into major neighbour from hell issues. Try and avoid this at all costs!

The Environmental Factor

If you've approached your nuisance barbecue owner and they're not interested in what you have to say, sadly you have to adopt the more formal route with your Local Authority. Get in contact with your local authority's Environmental Health Department who have a duty to take your complaint seriously and investigate it further. They may escalate your complaint to more formal measures (e.g. court or enforcement notices) if informal measures to resolve the barbecue problem or nuisance fail.

It's very important you keep accurate nuisance logs of all nuisance neighbours’ barbecues. We have a free recording nuisance log sheet you can download and use for this.

Remember to keep a copy of all your log sheets before you give them to your Local Authority - they are your main source of evidence and are very important!

Please think about your neighbour before your burn your BBQ! If you are the subject of a neighbour complaint to your Local Authority over barbecue or bonfire issues or nuisance, you could well find yourself in receipt of a visit from your Local Authority's Enforcement Officers who may use their powers to give a legal notice, instigate court action or impose heavy fines.

Smoke from your glorious barbecue can absolutely spoil the enjoyment your neighbours should have of their home and property. It causes a smell, fumes and odour and will not be kind to their environment (e.g. their washing line laundry) or if it's smoky, this can cause health problems to others breathing in your BBQ smoke (e.g. for people who may have chest problems or asthma, etc).

Really smoky barbecues often drastically affect the visibility within neighbouring gardens and property, causing many related problems. Your BBQ smoke can also cause difficulty to road users and pedestrians, don't deliberately be a pest with your BBQ!

Be careful what you barbecue!

Not only will toxic substances (e.g. petrol, plastics, etc) on your barbecue cause your food to be poisonous, unsafe or inedible, it may also cause toxic fumes to be inhaled by other people or animals. Please be careful to avoid this possibility, it could have very serious consequences. Smoke problems from barbecues are often very distressing and upsetting to those on the receiving end who aren't part of the fun - lighter fuel in particular can cause sickly, nausea inducing smoke and fumes as can paraffin or petrol.

In sunny weathers and climates, a barbecue can contribute to what is known as "photochemical smog" which is basically created and formed during the summer via the action of sunlight on any pollutants.

Smoke from barbecues is often a particularly bad problem when BBQs are first being lit, other substances as mentioned above like lighter fuel can make the smoke problem a whole lot worse. Lighting your BBQ with such substances can often cause the coals to burst into flames, giving you serious face and neck burns.

Fuel containers have also been known to actually ignite via the 'flashback' of flames, which will undoubtedly lead to some very serious injuries indeed.

1000 accidents a year

Every year there are about 1000 BBQ accidents in a year within the UK, many of which result in GP or Hospital treatment, don't be one of the increasing number of accidents which have been on the rise over the last five years.

Even if an accident isn't fatal (some sadly are), it's certainly going to be more than enough to ruin your BBQ fun.

25 people a year are also killed from the poisonous carbon monoxide which emits from BBQs which are lit in places of poor ventilation.