Two Beeston neighbours have had to pay out nearly £1,500 for failing to clear rubbish from their garden and for leaving bins on the street.
The growing pile of waste in Shantelle Thompson’s Tempest Road garden was spotted by environmental action officers out on regular priority area patrols. Thompson was asked on several occasions to clear the rubbish. When she failed to do so, she was issued with a legal notice requiring her clear the rotting mess.
Ignoring the legal notice and subsequent £75 fixed penalty notice issued for a lack of action meant Thompson was prosecuted.
She was ordered to pay a £100 fine along with a victim surcharge £20 and costs of £646.34.
Across the road, Errol Wint was asked to ensure wheeled bins were put away after they had been emptied. The bins are shared with other flats at the same address.
Despite another resident at the same address being prosecuted earlier in the year for leaving the shared bins out, environmental action officers noted after several visits that the bins were permanently on the pavement, blocking access for anyone trying to get past.
Wint and his neighbours clearly hadn’t received the message that people who share bins will be held jointly responsible for making sure they are used properly. Wint didn’t heed the requests and warnings to store the bins properly so was issued with a £75 fixed penalty notice. He was prosecuted for non-payment and fined £75, ordered to pay costs of £566.54 and a £20 victim surcharge.
Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for the environment, said:
“We give people every opportunity to clear up their waste and deal with their bins appropriately.
“We can’t allow waste to accumulate in someone’s property to the extent that it will become a health hazard, nor can we allow bins to block pavements, causing people to walk in the road.
“For our part, we are committed to providing a range of effective and efficient waste services. “To make these services as effective as possible we need people to work with us. When they don’t, we can and will take action.”
So what happens when they don’t pay the fines? Bailiffs?? Anyone know?
So let me get this right, someone leaving their bin in the street a few days late gets the same £75 fine that a dog owner gets for leaving its dogs mess in the street??