An accumulation of rubbish may be investigated if there is the possibility it may be a public health concern. The Council is not able to act when a premises is unsightly. If an accumulation is likely to harbour or attract rodents, or present a health risk for humans, a legal notice can be served making the owner subject to enforcement action.
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What you can do if you are affected by a rubbish accumulation nuisance
What we do and don’t investigate
Do
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Don't
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Large amount of waste on private land |
Residents putting bins out too early or late. Contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
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Waste attracting vermin on private land |
Rubbish on highways or public land. Contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
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Dead animals. If on highways contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
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Overgrown gardens (ie . long grass, and vegetation) This is classed as a civil matter. |
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Fly-tipping investigations. Contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
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Abandoned vehicles. Contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
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Littering. Contact Council Connect 01225 39 40 41 |
Preventing rubbish nuisance
If the rubbish is on your property, use a reputable contractor to arrange for removal of the accumulation, and keep your property free of future rubbish.
For useful information on weekly rubbish collections and recycling click on the link
What you can do if experiencing a rubbish accumulation nuisance
It’s always a good idea to try and resolve problems informally by just letting your neighbour know that there is a problem.
Talk to your neighbour
You could let your neighbour know that there is a problem, by having a conversation, or if you feel that you cannot speak to your neighbour, you could write a letter. You may like to use our template letter as an example.
Rubbish accumulation template letter (Word Doc)
Talk to neighbour’s landlord.
If you are aware that your neighbour lives in a rented property, you can contact their landlord to advise them of your concerns.
Report it
If after considering the information above, you may report the problem to the Environmental Protection Team.
Please contact us on Tel 01225 477551 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm Friday.
If the problem is happening out of office hours, then please contact us the next working day on Tel 01225 477551 in order to speak to an Environmental Health Officer about your concerns.
If you prefer to log your call at the time of the incident, then you may call:
Out of hours logging service - Tel 01225 477477.
Please note, we do not offer a reactive service to problems happening out of office hours. This is a logging service only. Calls logged will be passed to the Environmental Protection Team the next working day. They will then contact you within 2 working days.
What we need from you
When making a complaint you must include:
- Your name, address and if possible contact telephone number(s) and your email address
- The address you are complaining about and the type of nuisance (e.g. loud music, extractor fan, bonfire, accumulation of rubbish etc.)
- When and for how long the nuisance normally occurs
- The way the nuisance affects you e.g. unable to enjoy my garden
Anonymous complaints will not be investigated.
How we investigate
Complaints of longstanding large rubbish accumulation are investigated by the Environmental Protection Team. Once we have confirmed that you wish to make a formal complaint, we will write to the property that is allegedly causing the problem, to make them aware that a complaint has been received and advice on how to avoid further problems. We don’t not disclose who has reported the matter to us.
If the officer receives evidence that the matter continues and the accumulation of waste is unreasonable, an enforcement Notice can be served upon the person(s) responsible. Failure to comply with the Notice can result in court action. If convicted, the person responsible for the nuisance can face a fine.
Take your own Civil Action PDF