Fire risk and unplanned development?

cerastes

A neighbour of mine has built a fixed BBQ close to my property attached to a boundary wall, it now appears enclosed and not in a fire resistant structure, its a fairly imposing structure, the covering appears to leave them with less than 25m squared garden, so am wondering should it be allowed?
I don't want to interfere in their life, but when in use smoke billows into my garden making it unusable, and this monstrsoity has been fired up even as we obviously have clothes on the line??
But my main concern is that it's so high, very visible from my side and very close to the eaves of my extension (and theirs which are attached) that there is a fire risk, maybe even after its finished use but is still hot or emits embers, we don't really speak, not on bad terms or anything but are civil, although I see them very little coming and going, they never gave me any heads up over this, the covering or other work they have done, and just went ahead with it and now have it as if they never considered it is a concern or don't care.
I know people will say approach them, but I'd like to know where I stand on the matter, also as its not isolated in that any work they have done has followed this approach of not eve considering informing me, just going ahead with it regardless.

Gumbo

Tough one this.
It may be a civil matter due to the work in the boundary wall?


Can you post a picture?

ht9zni1gs28crp

Its a hard one alright, the fear of embers blowing into your gutter would have you awake all hours of the night.

In the meantime I would mount a hose on the wall nearest to this firepit on the ready. Then speak to the neighbours and let them know your fears. If that doesn't work for them to chimney it proper then allay your fears to local fire officer.

An automatic sprinkler on the corner of your property would soon put paid to their fresh burgers...just saying!

Gumbo

miller_63 wrote: »

Its a hard one alright, the fear of embers blowing into your gutter would have you awake all hours of the night.

In the meantime I would mount a hose on the wall nearest to this firepit on the ready. Then speak to the neighbours and let them know your fears. If that doesn't work for them to chimney it proper then allay your fears to local fire officer.

An automatic sprinkler on the corner of your property would soon put paid to their fresh burgers...just saying!

A fire officer cannot enter a residential single family dwelling ie. A house so no point doing that.

Make a case to your local building control department and planning enforcement department as they may be able to investigate it on your behalf.

cerastes

kceire wrote: »

Tough one this.
It may be a civil matter due to the work in the boundary wall?

Can you post a picture?

I'd prefer not put a picture up right at this moment

miller_63 wrote: »

Its a hard one alright, the fear of embers blowing into your gutter would have you awake all hours of the night.

In the meantime I would mount a hose on the wall nearest to this firepit on the ready. Then speak to the neighbours and let them know your fears. If that doesn't work for them to chimney it proper then allay your fears to local fire officer.

An automatic sprinkler on the corner of your property would soon put paid to their fresh burgers...just saying!

Some of your reply sounds serious and some sounds derisory, if I've misinterpreted that you'll have to excuse me.
But if it is what it seems to me, then I believe a potential fire risk and additional development outside what's allowed is a reasonable concern.

I have other concerns too, but I didn't raise them and wasn't going to over complicate things but its probably useful to know, essentially I know they completed an attic conversion upon moving in, something I'd consider myself, the work itself took a long time, it may even have been a year or more of work, based on what I can see of certain exterior work, I'm not sure if they did comply with any guidelines/standard inside,
Im left wondering how that might affect me, in the event of any issue which might require me to deal with (fire/structural) re their insurance being valid, or if i intended to build on the other side of their conversion, specifically that they just seemed to get some lads in to do it, the prolonged use of kangos and again any fire concern as we have an adjoining roof, I think it's reasonable for me to be aware of,
At the time in the least they could have informed me of what was going on so we could work around that at the time by taking our very young child out, but they didn't consider to inform us of anything, astonishingly never told us when they might be using heavy tools like kangos which apart from concerning me what the hell they were doing to our joint wall, the noise was unbearable especially for our little child at the time less than a year old.if they told us certain work was going on it would have allowed us to plan to be out at the time, that's beside the point.
I don't want to create tension between us,but I think my concerns are legitimate.

Carawaystick

What is worse because of the structure than if they had a metal portable bbq?
You'ld still have smoke on lighting,
the charcoal would still burn for hours.
If they use wood like a Brai, very little hardwood sparks, and softwood is rarely great for cooking due to the resins overpowering the food taste; so the fire risk is low.

cerastes

Its a large chimney, I can see it from my side, not sure if you are allowed build something like that, thought it might funnel embers up too, while it is used it fills my garden with smoke, it appears to be set up to be used in all weather.
I don't understand why they didn't build it on the other side of their garden as the smoke would dissipate a bit before it reached our garden, but it would fill their garden.
There is no comparison between this and a regular metal BBQ, any I have never seen a BBQ produce that much smoke, its the nice weather that incurs its use, right when we'd like to sit out in our back garden. It's a pure lack of concern and consideration.
Don't get it?

Poor Uncle Tom

Just my opinion mind, but if the chimney is over 2m high and not part of the central heating system of the house it is not an exempted development, this coupled with the assertion that there is not 25m2 open amenity space left to the rear of the house would be enough to get enforcement out.

That's actually what they are there for.

cerastes

do I have anything to go on as to whether they met any standard in their attic conversion?
is that enforcement too? or even possible?
While it wasn't a near future plan, Im too concerned to even consider getting an attic conversion done now, as if they have in any way weakened the structure, (I base that on the amount of noise and the duration of use of a kango), I dont see why they couldnt have used a concrete saw as a kango seems like it might create unseen problems, some dashing stones were falling off my side of the house, the vibration and noise was so bad.

If I did get any work done and something structural comes down due to it being previously weakened, it would be easy to see how I could be held at fault/who ever I got to do work. I checked my side of the attic block work and it seems unchanged though, I havent noticed any cracks, although some of the blockwork cant be seen.

cerastes

Im going to follow up on the above, is there any time limit that applies in how long a structure has been in place that prevent someone from getting planning enforcement out to look at something? or to enforce someone to take it down?

Gumbo

cerastes wrote: »

Im going to follow up on the above, is there any time limit that applies in how long a structure has been in place that prevent someone from getting planning enforcement out to look at something? or to enforce someone to take it down?

Typically 7 years but planning enforcement will not take action if planning is not required.

I have a feeling that planning is not required for a BBQ so they may not do anything unfortunately and you have to provide them with your full details, although they will be kept confidential.

Can you still not post a picture for further advice.

cerastes

kceire wrote: »

Typically 7 years but planning enforcement will not take action if planning is not required.

I have a feeling that planning is not required for a BBQ so they may not do anything unfortunately and you have to provide them with your full details, although they will be kept confidential.

Can you still not post a picture for further advice.

I'll take one and PM you it, I'd considered doing this before and then it went by the wayside, it's not in use now, but I've no doubt it will be when the weather improves.
I have no doubt they will know its me and I have no intention of hiding it from them and they will be well aware of the reason.