Bonfires on allotments

What you can and can't burn on your allotment and how to do it safely.

What you can burn

You can burn untreated wood waste or prunings from your site in a metal brazier at any time of the year.

You can have open bonfires between 1 November and 1 April.

Please make sure you:

  • keep bonfires to a reasonable size
  • only have them during clear dry weather
  • only have them when there is little wind
  • don't cause a nuisance to households or highways with smoke
  • never leave them unattended

If you have a bonfire that breaches the allotment rules, you'll receive a bonfire nuisance notice. If you commit the same offence again, we will end your tenancy.

Find out more about nuisance notices. 

What you can’t burn

You must not burn materials that create toxic fumes and pollution, including:

  • plastic
  • tyres
  • painted or treated wood
  • chipboard
  • MDF
  • carpet

You must dispose of these items at one of our Household Waste Recycling Sites. Burning these materials can lead to us ending your tenancy and prosecuting you. 

You must not bring prunings onto the site to burn, this can also result in us ending your tenancy.