Hi all,

What’s the rules with installing log burners and using them to burn anything in a clean air area ?

We live in a clean air area, not allowed log burners/open fires etc unless it’s clean fuel.

“Mr Builder” opposite, had put in a log burner recently, with a metal external flue into his house (he’s also pissed off next door neighbours with dodgy extensions).

He is burning all sorts on it – enough to stink my house out about 150 yards away. Anyway, had enough, knocked on door earlier and said it’s not allowed in our area and he is stinking my house out.

Funny thing is, he started threatening me, and I started laughing, and said “I’d had worse” – anyway his vile wife starts… saying I’d made threats… (he started on me) Thing is, I’m only 5’9″ but the guy is a real short arse, but I’ve never had a run in with him before. He knows I ride a bike, but he shat himself when I said ‘come on then’ – got to be the old ‘commuting’ mentality/ biker attitude. Probably not the great thing to do, but he didn’t come after me.

Expecting to get a roasting out of the missus later, but the guy has bullied the 3 old ladies living in the houses next to him, and he’s stunk us out with his latest ‘addition’.

I’ve reported his ‘dodgy chimney’ to the council. Our houses aren’t designed with any sort of open fire to be installed – it’s a direct flue outside to an aluminium stack. He’s only started using it recently, but the stuff he is burning is crazy. The villages about 10 miles away are allowed to burn anything, but we aren’t.

I can see this escalating as the woman is a witch. Fortunately, no-one in the close likes the family as they manage to piss everyone off.

What have I started…. PS I’m no fighter, with a professional career, but no-one threatens me !

Approved smokeless fuels and wood only in a Defra exempt stove in a smoke controlled area.

If it’s not a Defra exempt stove (confusingly also known as a Defra approved stove) then smokeless fuels only.

An external flue is allowed but depending on the area planning May be required and building regs are pretty tight on appropriate installation.

Sounds like he’s the piss a bit with what he’s burning.

Regulations at the link. I’m just about to embark on a self install and whilst they’re easy enough to get your head around, there’s enough in there to trip up your resident a’hole if you want to.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200135/approved_documents/72/part_j_-_combustion_appliances_and_fuel_storage_systems

Sorry to hear this, i can burn anything but only burn my nicely seasoned and dry stored wood. On start up it does put out a lot of smoke, i went out last night to check and if there were near neighbours it would stink them out.

Probably like a noise complaint you have to keep a log of events and present them as evidence.

More importantly, did you get that roasting with the Mrs?

The rules are irrelevant in this case, if he’s making a nuisance the council will/should come down on him hard.
Our local council have been fining these selfish bone heads.

Firstly, the missus didn’t kill me – just worried I’d squared upto him. His wife is vile. I kept my voice down but said it’s a clean area and you can’t just burn anything, and my house smelt of bonfire all day. He then made a threat, so started to laugh. That’s when his missus bounded in screaming.

His external ‘flue’ doesn’t actually clear any of the roof line, even lower down – I suspect it’s because it’s not visible.

The funny thing is, he made some comment about the back of our cars protruding into the road – that’s the only thing he could try and pick me up on – petty, considering all the other drives are too short, and most folk on the road have at least one car on the road. I wasn’t quick enough to mention that our ‘deeds’ to our properties specifically exclude commercial vehicles from the road, for which he has transit on the drive (oesn’t bother me as everyone needs to earn a living).

As for planning etc. he won’t have got it. He’s extended the house to the side, has a huge conservatory, and has a very large ‘residental’ breeze block bungalow in the back garden. There is no garden left. These definitely exceed building regulations with regards size.

I’ve not had the need to run in with him as the stuff he’s done hasn’t directly affected us, until the latest ‘project’. The pensioners i the next 3 houses complained about this breeze block building (imagine large double garage size) and he said it was a wendy house – it was actually for his elder son to live in – it’s fully plumbed in to the sewers. There will be no planning permission.

I think their reaction was so hostile as he just shoved the stove in – he’s not a ‘professional’ builder by any means.

It’s funny how everyone else gets on in the neighbourhood except the local a-hole, but we’ve all got one.

I’d love a log burner, but our houses don’t have chimneys or fireplaces, and of course it’s a clean air area.

I suppose a-hole has just pushed the wrong button with me now. I’ll read the regs. posted earlier, so cheers.

Don’t other reading anything, just Grass him up to the council, it’s their problem now.

Wood burners smoke on start up, just like diesel cars. And are tested when running at full operating temperature, just like diesel cars. If anyone has a way of lighting without smoke I’m all ears. I’m the one who lives closest to my chimney and my washing line is closest too. At present I’m burning wood that’s been drying under a ventilated cover for five years and there’s still a swirl of smoke on lighting up.

You can limit the time and volume of smoke by using plenty of kindling to get the stove up to temperature as quickly as possible, always running with primary and secondary air fully open and always having enough fuel in the stove to get a good burn rather than slow combustion/smouldering.

His external ‘flue’ doesn’t actually clear any of the roof line, even lower down

SZounds like the flue isn’t long enough so there isn’t enough draw so there isn’t enough air for proper combustion. In France there are rules on stack height and roof crest height, it would be illegal, I assume British regs are similar.

Just checked planning, and there is planning permission for his extension, but not the ‘dwelling/granny bungalow’ nor the log burner and flue.

So what’s he burning?

He doesnt need planning for the log burner afaik unless it’s a restricted area such as heritage zone or conservation area etc.
As for the block work “Wendy house” they could easily serve him a demolition notice on that. However if he gets one I suggest you will be his first port of call. Remember all said and done you have to live there not anyone proffering advice on here…

More bothered about the level of smoke and smell – as yesterday it was the whole day our house smelt.

I understand about living here, which is why I usually let it drop, but the smell levels were out of order.

So what’s he burning?

http://staffordbc.gov.uk/nuisance-wood-burning-stoves-and-open-fires

He sounds like an arse, grass him up.

I don’t know what he is burning, but it’s likely to be building waste. We have a chimnea we rarely use, but I know if you are burning green wood etc. the stench and smoke is bad – we use kiln dried wood.

The wood burner is on again, but it’s not producing loads of smoke, or indeed smell, so hopefully he has listened.

The wood burner is on again, but it’s not producing loads of smoke, or indeed smell, so hopefully he has listened

Once up to temperature, it’s easy to burn plastics and other waste without producing a visible effect, as long as you feed it in slowly.

How do you know if you re in a clean air zone? I am looking at houses in different areas so would like to burn wood. Is there somewhere i can put the postcode in to check?

Just check with the local council, they will be able to tell you.

I am looking at houses in different areas so would like to burn wood.

You can burn wood in clear air zones, there are literally 100s of stove models approved to do so.

Ok thanks, i just checked the council website

There is a thread on the green building forum mirroring almost exactly this situation, and it extends to thousands of posts. All good advice, but dont expect the council to act on your behalf without a lot of hassle.

You can burn wood in clear air zones

You can, that doesn’t mean you should.

What about dropping a can of expandey foam with the nozzle taped open down the flue when he’s out?

Approved burners are efficient, but you’ve got to be careful what you are burning – treated wood isn’t a good idea due to chemical fumes, which I suspect was what my neighbour was burning yesterday all day. All quiet on the western front now, so I think he listened.

Check with your council about clean air – usually urban and city areas. My mate at work has a burner, but he stores his wood for a year to dry it out, but isn’t in a clean air area – so can burn just about everything. It’s down to smoke and smell that affects neighbours can land you a fine.

As a builder he might be burning treated wood and assuming that everyone else cops for the smoke and dangerous chemicals and he saves money on taking stuff to the tip

Friend at work had to extend his external flue after his neighbour complained of smoke from the woodburner affecting his asthma. Building control made the recommendation to make it look like they were doing something. My friend did put forward that his neighbour might improve his asthma by not smoking 40 a day.

Flues clear of the roof do tend to be more effective.