Alternative disposal

Garden bonfires produce smoke and smells, which can annoy neighbours as well as damage the environment. Garden trimmings that are still green and wet can give off lots of smoke, and materials like plastics and rubber create poisonous chemicals when they are burnt. Most garden waste can be easily composted and larger amounts can either be placed in your Green Bin and taken away providing you have arranged a Garden Waste Collection or taken to one of the household waste recycling centres in the county.

Guidelines

If you must have a bonfire to burn any waste that cannot be composted, then it is advisable to follow these simple guidelines:

• Warn your neighbours – this gives them an opportunity to close windows and doors, remove washing off the line and they are much less likely to complain

• Ideally burn later in the evening when people are less likely to use their gardens

• Only burn dry material

• Never burn household rubbish, rubber tyres or anything containing plastic, foam or paint

• Avoid lighting a fire in unsuitable weather conditions – smoke hangs in the air on damp, still days. If it is too windy, smoke blows into neighbours’ gardens and windows and across roads

• Avoid burning when air pollution levels in your area are high or very high. You can check air quality on 0800 556677

• Keep your fire away from trees, fences and buildings

• Warning Never use oil, petrol or methylated spirits to light a fire – you could damage yourself as well as the environment

• Never leave a fire unattended or leave it to smoulder – put it out

How do I complain about a bonfire?

There are no byelaws restricting bonfires in Wiltshire’s Area and there are no specific times of day restricting bonfires.

However if smoke is caused by a bonfire is creating a nuisance, the council has powers to take action under the provisions of the  Environmental Protection Act 1990. Private individuals can also take action through a Magistrates’ Court. If a bonfire is causing smoke to drift across a road, please contact the police.

If you are affected by smoke, we would recommend that you discuss it initially with your neighbour, as they may not realise that they are causing a problem. Always try to be reasonable, otherwise your discussions may end up in further arguments and create unwanted future neighbour tension.  Explain the details of your concern and try and agree a reasonable solution or compromise.

If the situation does not improve, then feel free to contact the Environmental Protection Team. We would ask you to fill out a smoke nuisance log sheet for two weeks and then return it to us. The nuisance log sheets are very important and the Council will not take any further action unless it has received completed nuisance log sheets from you. If the log is not returned without a reasonable explanation within 21 days the complaint will be closed.

Once we have received your log sheets a member the case officer will assess them and contact you to discuss what will happen next. We may write to the alleged offender bringing their attention to the matter and providing them with a simple guide on how to have a bonfire whilst reducing the risk of it being a nuisance to neighbours. We may also make visits in an attempt to witness the smoke. Officers will usually undertake a maximum of three visits to substantiate your complaint.  If after the three visits no nuisance has been established, the council will close the investigation.

For more information visit Wiltshire County Council’s website.

Don’t suffer a cold home

Living in a cold home can be bad for your health.  Consistently low temperatures in your home may exacerbate existing health issues (particularly respiratory and cardiovascular conditions) and make it harder for you to recover from illnesses.  It can cause you and your family to feel miserable at home, affecting concentration, dexterity and mental health.

Wiltshire Council has been working to address these issues and make it easier for people struggling to heat their home to a healthy, comfortable temperature to access free advice and support.

Residents can now contact Warm & Safe Wiltshire – a one stop shop for all cold home and energy queries.  The service aims to provide free, impartial advice about keeping your home warm, understanding your heating system and energy bills, switching energy supplier and making energy saving improvements. The service also aims to prevent isolation worry by signing residents up to the Priority Services Register so that in the event of a power cut, they have the support that they need. Energy advice can be given through home visits as well as over the phone.  Fire safety alarm and appliance checks can also be organised in partnership with Fire and Rescue for eligible residents.

Warm and Safe Wiltshire will also be working closely with relevant organisations to ensure that the team are able to refer and signpost residents for additional support. This could include ensuring you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to or support in making essential improvements to your home. Insulation is one of the best ways of lowering your energy bills as well as replacing old, inefficient heating systems. Warm and Safe Wiltshire can let you know if you’re eligible for funding to help towards the cost of making your home warmer and more comfortable.

Please contact the team if you would like any advice or you know anyone who would benefit from a referral.

Call 0800 038 5722
email warmandsafe@cse.org.uk
Web www.warmandsafewiltshire.org.uk

Warm and Safe Wiltshire is a service provided by Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Council in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service.

Tilshead Village has a noticeboard on the side of the Village Hall. 

Notices for the village notice board should be given to Gill at Waylenfield or to Trudie at Church House for insertion inside the notice board. Notices can also be emailed to website@tilsheadvillage.com.

Notices or posters are kept for three weeks on the notice board, and updated every weekend. Notices or posters put on the outside of the notice board will be removed and not inserted. 

A few tweaks are being made by Highways England to the proposals for a tunnel, road dualling and a Winterbourne Stoke bypass.

Source: ANOTHER consultation on A303 Stonehenge plans

From August 2018 you can recycle more in your blue-lidded bins.  Please see the link for more details.

If you find that your blue-lidded bin is already regularly full, it might be worth checking that you have your full household entitlement to bins.  Each household is entitled to up to 2nr 240 litre blue-lidded bins.  You can order new bins here. 

Order your replacement/additional bin now to be prepared for the changes!

Take part here

We have updated our Privacy Policy in order to comply with The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes in to effect on 25th May 2018.

Our Cookie Policy has also been updated.  We have also added a Cookie Policy ‘Accept’ button.

If you subscribe to our Newsletter, you will receive an email asking you to update your data or unsubscribe (note – we only keep your name and email address purely for the purpose of issuing the Newsletter to you).  After 25th May 2018 only users who have updated their data will be sent the email Newsletter.

A GDPR compliant consent check box has been added to the Contact Form, Subscription Form and Comments.

As the Tilshead website does not fall into the categories requiring a Data Protection Officer, we have not appointed one.

A Flood Alert has been issued by the Environment Agency. Flood Alert in force: Groundwater flooding in the Salisbury Plain area.

Flooding is possible for: Boscombe, Cholderton, Collingbourne Ducis, Hanging Langford, Hindon, Hurdcott, Idmiston, Newton Tony, Orcheston, Porton, Salisbury, Shipton Bellinger, Shrewton, Stratford Sub Castle, Tidworth, Tilshead, Tisbury, Wilton, Winterbourne Stoke and Woodford. Be prepared. Groundwater levels have responded quite steeply to the weekend’s heavy rainfall, particularly to the West of Salisbury Plain.

Communities including Tilshead, Orcheston, Shrewton, Chitterne, Codford and those along the Wylye Valley are most likely to be affected. Residents should prepare property level flood resilience measures including pumps where they are fitted. People driving through flood water should take extra care both for their own safety and to ensure that their bow wave doesn’t cause flooding to properties lining the roads.

To check the latest information for your area – 

Visit the GOV.UK website to see the current flood warnings, view river and sea levels or check the 5-day flood risk forecast: https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/target-area/111FAGSPGW

Or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 using quickdial code: 210022.

Follow @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter.

Tune into weather, news and travel bulletins on local television and radio.

What you should consider doing now –

Monitor local water levels and weather conditions.

Get ready to act on your flood plan if you have one.

Move your car or other vehicles to higher ground, if it is safe to do so.

Prepare a flood kit of essential items including a torch with spare batteries, mobile phone and charger, warm clothes, home insurance documents, water, food, first aid kit and any prescription medicines or baby care items you may need.

Check that you know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supplies.

In rural locations, farmers should consider moving livestock and equipment away from areas likely to flood.

Avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water. 30 cm of fast-flowing water can move a car and 6 inches can knock an adult off their feet.

Flood water is dangerous and may be polluted. Wash your hands thoroughly if you’ve been in contact with it.

Floodline