One of the issues raised at this months Community Forum (formerly the PACT meeting) concerned fly-tipping in the rear yards of a number of empty private sector rented properties in Blackhall Colliery.
The main complaint on this occasion related to 29 Middle Street where carpets and furniture have been dumped in the back yard (see image below). This is a recurring problem at this location where the council removed a similarly large quantity of rubbish last year. It appears however that fly-tippers have taken the opportunity to use the yard as a tipping point knowing that the landlord or council will be forced to arrange removal.
The council has today confirmed that they have issued a 28 -day notice to the landlord to remove the rubbish. It is expected however that the landlord will revert to form and ignore the notice as he did last year. This will mean that the council will remove the furniture after the 28-day notice is expired and then recharge the landlord.
As a follow up I have asked if the council can force the landlord to make the yard secure to prevent future incidents of fly-tipping (the gate to the back yard has been removed allowing fly-tippers access to the property). I am told however that the council has no powers to force the landlord to make his yard secure so I am now exploring other methods of prevention.
Please contact me if you know of any similar problems elsewhere in our area and I will take whichever steps are legally available to the council to arrange removal.
