Smoke And Flame
The ‘rules’ vary from place to place. In fact in parts of Tameside, just the act of carrying an unlit BBQ can get you a huge fine!
But don’t worry, our exclusive tool – developed by analysing over 300 individual council responses – will help you navigate the minefield.
Actually, our research uncovered that 65% of councils who responded told us that they have some form of regulations in place! But that also means that 119 councils have absolutely no restrictions and you can BBQ wherever you want.
So before you pack up your spice blends and skewers, check our tool first – it could save you a few quid.
That was what we wondered as we started this research. But actually, when we talked to some of the Parks Officers responsible for the regulations, it was clear that some people are wildly irresponsible and unfortunately that’s prompted Councils to use the law to prevent us from cooking outdoors.
For instance, Gwynedd Council highlighted instances where disposable BBQs had been buried under sand whilst still lit. This ended up causing the hospitalisation of a child with burns injuries.
We mentioned Tameside earlier – the place where carrying a BBQ warrants a fine. Well, in 2018 the Moorlands of Tameside had a fire so big it could be seen from space, started by a BBQ. You can’t blame them for being tetchy.
Just type in the local authority name (town, district, county or city council) and we’ll tell you what they said!
1. Some parks in one town will be ran by the County Council (or similar) and another one will be ran by a more local council. Normally they have the same rules, but not always. Check all council names in the area.
2. Rules are subject to change. The only way to be 100% sure is to check with the local authority. We have included the date of the council’s response to us within the tool. We accept no liability for inaccurate information.
3. Any land which is owned/managed by the National Trust does not allow BBQing.
4.There are other laws that are not specific to BBQing and, for most people, consist of applying common sense. These include:
5. This article does not constitute legal advice and nor should it be construed as such.
Tameside Fire: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/tamesidemoorlandfires
7 year old girl burnt on beach: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61961111
Environmental Protection Act: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/43/contents
