Complaints about waste piling up in a garden has resulted in a Leeds resident being fined. Council officers had to step in when fed-up local people reported waste that had been lying around for weeks.
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Nicola Wright, of Langbar Close, didn’t appear before magistrates in the city last month, but she was ordered to pay £100, a £20 victim surcharge and £293.87 in costs.
Local residents reported accumulations of waste at the Langbar Close property in May 2013.
Despite advice and warning letters Wright failed to take any action. Council environmental action officers then issued a legal notice requiring Wright to move the heap of rubbish.
Instead of moving the rubbish as required, additional garden waste was added to the pile.
Although Wright had been given over a month to take appropriate action, the waste remained.
Officers issued a fixed penalty notice for non-compliance and the penalty was never paid.
Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for the environment, said:
“People generally take a pride in their garden and local community. Instances like this, with a build-up of waste can bring an area down and end up being the cause of other environmental issues like littering.
“People have a responsibility to store and deal with rubbish from their home appropriately and we have a duty to ensure this is the case, particularly when it is causing other residents concern.”
Environmental action officers patrol priority areas where litter is an issue to ensure that uncontained rubbish isn’t causing additional problems. Officers are happy to offer a friendly word of advice and can hand out legal notices to ensure action is taken. Fixed penalty notices can be issued if people don’t comply and can result in prosecution.
