Residents should be encouraged to take up bonfire issues, firstly with the person whose bonfire it is, and secondly with the council on the contact numbers below, and thirdly with one of their local councillors, only involving HADRA if they are unable to make progress.
Bonfires themselves are NOT illegal. However, it is an offence at law to cause a nuisance from a bonfire and the council is able to prosecute persistent offenders who can be fined up to £5,000.
The Council prefers that residents recycle waste and the Purley Oaks recycling centre is close to the HADRA area.
Once the Council has introduced a green waste collection borough wide, consideration will then be given to imposing a ban on bonfires.
Meantime, the Council has published its Air Quality Action Plan (November 2006) which raises the issue of bonfires. This will be open to public consultation and is on going.
The Council will investigate cases where bonfires are a nuisance – 0208 760 5483 preferably enabling officers to attend when the bonfire is in progress. Outside working hours 0208 7267 6000 but it is unclear how immediate any response may be.