EVERYONE loves feeling festive and walking past a house beautifully lit up by cheery Christmas lights can really make December 25 feel just around the corner.
But those pretty decorations could actually land you or a neighbour in deep trouble as they could be illegal.
Jam Press/Lee JenkinsChristmas lights that are deemed to cause a nuisance by the council could have to be taken down or limited if they break a UK law[/caption]
Times Newspapers LtdThe statutory nuisance law prevents lights that can cause issues to a persons health or be seen as inappropriate or annoying due to the times they are on and the brightness of them[/caption]
Any lights that are seen as a “nuisance” by the council can lead to them ordering you to tear them down to stop anymore issues coming up.
The shocking law is called statutory nuisance and could affect a whole load of us who like to put up magical displays in the run up to Christmas.
But family arguments over when the perfect time to put the decorations back in the loft could finally be solved if you’re caught breaking the law.
The official GOV.UK website lists a number of reasons why someone could be in breach of statutory nuisance.
From obscenely loud noises and foul smells to any signs of serious smoke from the property, several things are deemed inappropriate.
But unless your snowman has a rotting carrot nose or Rudolph cant’t stop singing until three in the morning these are unlikely to be a real problem.
But it’s the firm rule over artificial lights that can cause some serious Christmas time woes.
The government says that decorative lights, laser shows or security lights can cause an official artificial light nuisance if “they’re not maintained or used properly”.
In order for the lights to be deemed as an issue they must: “unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises,” or be likely to cause issues to someones health.
The nuisances can be assessed by your local council if a formal complaint is made by an annoyed neighbour but it’ll have to prove a couple of things first before the decorations need to be sorted out.
The main things being looked at will be how long the lights are on, how often they are on and how it affects the average person and their health.
To avoid being caught in festive fury think about dimming the lights slightly and monitoring when they’re on as the later they’re on the more issues likely to be caused.
Councils can serve an abatement notice on anyone responsible for statutory nuisances and can make those responsible stop using the lights, or limit it to certain times to avoid causing a nuisance.
And if you’re looking to report someone for the nature of their lights but are worried about being labelled a Grinch if you go up and talk to them think about talking to the council.
We all have that one neighbour who likes to go a little overboard and have their house littered with lights with the classic singing Santa Claus perched on their front garden.
But the council gets the final say and it’s up to them what gets classed as a statutory nuisance so best to check in there first before anything else.
You could also be given hundreds of pounds worth of fines if you don’t throw away your Christmas tree properly.
While drivers have been warned they could get a huge £400 fine and penalty points for incorrectly transporting a Christmas tree home by car this year.
SWNSYou could be ordered to limit the time your lights are on or be made to switch them off for good[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
