Earlier this week I published a post on this site about the derelict condition of some rear yards in Blackhall Colliery apparently attracting vermin (see 31 July 2012).
On Monday morning I visited and telephoned residents at Eleventh Street and Arnold Avenue which is where the original complaints had come from. I then contacted the neighbourhood wardens along with officers from the public health and environmental health departments at Durham County Council who have visited the area over the last two days.
Rubbish and debris has been allowed to accumulate in the rear yard at 27 Eleventh Street and the landlord of this property has been contacted and issued with a notice to clear the yard within 28 days which is the permitted legal period for such clearances.
The house at 5 Eleventh Street has a duvet dumped in the rear yard and the council is currently tracing the landlord to have this removed.
Having spoken to residents in the area about the reports of rats, officers are firmly of the opinion that the source of the vermin problem is the nearby allotments and not the accumulated debris in the rear yards at numbers 5 & 27. Specifically they note that the debris and rubbish consisted solely of building materials and non-food waste which is not the characteristic cause of vermin infestations.
I have asked the wardens to keep a close watch on this area over the next few days and weeks to monitor this problem and take whatever actions are required to clear the area. Contact is also being made with the Allotment Association to ensure that they are aware of the issues raised by residents.
