My neighbour has began conserving bees — is there any manner I can object to this?
G.H., Paddock Wooden, Kent.
The sting: A house owner is worried about his neighbour’s new interest – beekeeping. However is there something he can do?
Dean Dunham replies: The place to begin is that your neighbour is entitled to maintain bees and in the event that they trigger you no hurt or important points you will be unable to object or cease your neighbour simply because you don’t like the concept.
Nevertheless, when you consider the bees are inflicting a nuisance or a well being danger to you and your loved ones, the place probably adjustments.
A legislation known as the Environmental Safety Act 1990 covers a spread of environmental points which can be interpreted as being a statutory nuisance, together with noise, odour, and air pollution.
Part 79(f) states {that a} statutory nuisance contains, ‘any animal stored in such a spot or method as to be prejudicial to well being or a nuisance’.
Precise nuisance doesn’t need to be proven — it’s sufficient if the exercise complained of interferes together with your private consolation.
Additionally native authorities typically have their very own bylaws or laws governing beekeeping so it’s price seeing if so the place you reside and discovering out precisely what such laws say.
Armed with what the legislation and any native laws say, it is best to, within the first occasion, converse to your neighbour and voice your considerations in a non-confrontational and pleasant method.
If this doesn’t resolve the problem the next move can be to contact your native council’s environmental well being division and make a criticism.
Keep in mind that on your criticism to be taken critically, you’ll need to point out {that a} statutory nuisance exists or that native bylaws or laws (in the event that they exist) are being breached.
Earlier than making contact with the native council it is best to subsequently collect as a lot proof as attainable in relation to the problem, akin to photographs or movies of the bees inflicting a nuisance or a well being danger to you or your loved ones.
If the native council accepts {that a} statutory nuisance exists, it is going to have energy underneath Part 80 of the Environmental Safety Act to take varied steps, together with the problem of a discover requiring the abatement of the nuisance or prohibiting or limiting its incidence or recurrence. It might additionally severely limit, and even shut down, the beekeeper’s actions.
Tree thieves nabbed my maple – can I make a declare?
I had a really costly Japanese maple tree in a pot stolen from exterior my entrance door — can I declare on my insurance coverage?
B.N., Lyndhurst.
Dean Dunham replies: Most dwelling contents insurance coverage insurance policies will cowl the likes of crops being stolen from exterior your property.
Nevertheless, insurance policies differ so you’ll need to take a look at your specific contents insurance coverage coverage wording to see what it says about this.
All insurance policies have varied exclusions (i.e. an inventory of things and circumstances that you just can not declare for) so you’ll need to ensure pot crops usually are not included in such an inventory and ensure your ‘exterior’ cowl isn’t restricted to your again backyard.
By means of instance, I’ve seen a coverage just lately that particularly excluded cowl for theft of crops planted within the floor, versus in a pot.
Insurers additionally are likely to exclude gadgets that ought to have been stored inside, so it is necessary that you just present proof that that is an ‘out of doors’ plant.
In case you are coated, you’ll need to establish if there’s a restrict on how a lot you may declare.
Outside gadgets often have decrease cowl limits as a result of increased danger of theft or injury and insurance coverage suppliers will subsequently sometimes solely cowl these as much as a specified quantity, usually round £250.
When you’ve an costly merchandise it’s all the time price notifying your insurance coverage supplier earlier than cowl begins and asking for written affirmation that it is going to be coated within the occasion of harm or theft.
With exterior gadgets, it’s also advisable to ask for affirmation that these can be coated and it is best to state exactly the place they are going to be positioned exterior.
In the event you later have trigger to make a declare, this written affirmation of your cowl can pay dividends and will guarantee a clean declare course of.
