On this beautiful Europe Day, questions about whether it is allowed to mow your lawn on a public holiday suddenly arose among concerned RTL Today staff, who feared repercussions from their – ehm, I of course mean their neighbours’ – early morning activities. And rightly so, as it turns out.
Though it is not as easy to find an answer to this most pressing question as one might expect, those among the staff who are actually doing some real work today ensured that you, our dear readers, know what is and what isn’t allowed.
Following a bit of investigative journalism, we found that the government drew up regulations that highlight all of the do’s and don’ts on a bank holiday to minimise noise disturbances in residential areas. The guidance specifies that certain machinery, including lawn mowers, tillers, chainsaws, and similar equipment, may be used within built-up areas and within 100 metres of such areas, but only between 9am and noon.
So, while the weather may be nice and it may seem like a productive activity to do on a bank holiday, it is unfortunately not permitted for most of the day and you might get your neighbour calling the police on you if you fail to comply.
As for regular weekdays, it should be noted that it is not allowed to conduct noisy gardening work before 8am or after 8pm. On Saturdays, a ban is in place before 8am, from noon to 2pm, and after 6pm.
However, it should be noted that the government regulation is intended to be used as guidance only; meaning individual municipalities may impose alternative restrictions on noise disturbances. Therefore it is best to check with your local council before firing up that hedge trimmer!
