Lighting bonfires is a burning issue (From Cotswold Journal)

Lighting bonfires is a burning issue

11:00am Thursday 20th September 2012 in News By Freya Leng

LIGHTING bonfires at an allotment site in Moreton has ignited a flaming row.

Calls have been made for a blanket ban on bonfires at the allotments after the town council received heated complaints from residents.

Allotment holder Richard Smith brought up the burning issue during the public session of the last town council meeting.

He said bonfires had caused his daughter to have an asthma attack recently and created air pollution.

Mr Smith, who lives opposite the allotments, said: “What’s letting the allotment holders down is a tiny amount of people burning rubbish.

“There’s no law against it but it’s within your power to write a clause into the allotment holders’ agreement.

“Every time we have a nice day and we want to sit in the garden, there is a horrible smell in the allotment and we can’t open the windows. It’s becoming a real problem.

“My daughter is asthmatic. Inside the house she had a bad asthma attack. The windows weren’t open and the smoke was still getting in it was so strong.”

But his suggestion to ban burning rubbish at the allotments met strong opposition from Councillor Rod Hooper.

“I’m in favour of helping neighbours but I’m completely against saying ‘no you shouldn’t have a fire in any allotments’.

“Why shouldn’t we burn our rubbish sometime during the season? I suffer from asthma but you’ve got to give and take.”

Vice-chairman Jenny Harris suggested that the allotment committee should do some research into rubbish disposal.