Contact Us
For more information please contact the
Environmental Protection Team on:
Tel: 01638 719733 Fax: 01638 719357
Email:
enviroprotection@forest-heath.gov.uk
Post: Environmental Services, District Offices, College Heath
Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7EY
The Environmental Protection Team
investigates complaints of smoke and odour under the Statutory
Nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Under this legislation odour from domestic premises is
not a statutory nuisance, but we will investigate to
identify the source of the odour.
You can contact the Environmental Protection Team if you are being
bothered by smoke or odour. The investigating officer shall try and
visit you at the time you are experiencing the problem but if this
is not possible they shall contact you either in writing or by
telephone.
Smoke and odour can arise from a
number of activities. It may be from someone with a bonfire in
their garden or a farmer putting manure on their land. If a
problem is witnessed by the investigating officer at the time
of their visit they may approach the person responsible in an
attempt to resolve the complaint. A follow up letter shall be
sent to the person providing them with advice on how to
control smoke or smells from their activities.
There is guidance available to certain businesses on controlling
smells and smoke, for example muck spreading by farmers, and the
officer refers to this when investigating complaints.
Abatement Notices are served if smoke or smell from premises is
witnessed as causing a Statutory Nuisance. It is an offence for the
recipient of a Notice to breach its conditions.
In addition to statutory nuisance, the Environmental Protection
Team investigates complaints of dark smoke under the Clean Air Act
1993. Under this Act it is an offence for dark smoke to be emitted
from a chimney of any building, including domestic premises. It is
also an offence for dark smoke to be emitted from industrial or
trade premises. If you are being bothered by smoke arsing
from the burning of waste on commercial premises
then you should also consider contacting the
Environment Agency on 08708 506506 as they
regulate the way in which waste is disposed of from such
premises.
Useful Links