1 week Ago By [email protected] (Kerry Ashdown)
A tenant who failed to clear up a mountain of rubbish in a Stafford garden that caused misery for neighbours has been kicked out of the property for good, councillors have heard. But a community leader has hit out at the time taken to tackle the mess at the front of the Peach Avenue house which led to residents reporting rat sightings and fearing for their children's health - and a senior councillor responsible for environmental matters at the authority has said that neighbours "have suffered too long". The issue hit the headlines across the country and even internationally.
But the site has now been cleared up on the orders of Stafford Borough Council - and at the latest full council meeting this month, members heard that the homeowner had been granted a possession order so that the tenant could not return when a three-month closure order expires in February. Councillor Ann Edgeller said: "Can the cabinet member for environment confirm when the council was first made aware of the issue on Peach Avenue? Can he confirm what options were considered when this first came to the council’s attention?” "I personally reported neighbours' concerns a long time ago and no action was taken. The householder was using their garden as a waste disposal site, with the infestation of rats and other vermin, burning of rubbish through the day and night.
" Councillor Ian Fordham, cabinet member for environment, responded: "So far as I have been able to establish, the council first received reports of inappropriate activity in Peach Avenue in late September of last year. Visits by officers confirmed a genuine problem and the tenant was told he must stop the activity, but proved uncooperative. "Attempts were made to identify and contact the landlord.
Following reports of waste disposal at the property, the Environment Agency was contacted to investigate whether the tenant held any licence - he did not." Police were also contacted and a van believed to be involved in waste disposal was removed, councillors heard. An envirocrime warning letter was served on the tenant, as well as a notice requiring the land to be cleared within 28 days, and shortly afterwards a stop notice in a bid to prevent further build-up of waste.
When the site was not cleared up within the required period, a formal letter was served on the property owner, Councillor Fordham said. And last month magistrates granted Stafford Borough Council a closure order, banning anyone - including the tenant - from stepping foot on the property for three months. A few days later the authority began the clear-up of the site.
Councillor Fordham said at this month's meeting: "There is a legal process to follow and a need to resolve issues for the long term so they do not reoccur. "The costs of these operations are being assessed and the ex-tenant will be presented with the bill. There has been significant cost over months to deal with a complex issue and a need to end a serious situation for residents once and for all.
"The site has been baited multiple times by our pest control team to eliminate vermin. Local residents have been notified by pest control that they will bait their property without charge if they have experienced vermin as a result of the tenant's activities; three households have taken up this offer. "An order for possession has been granted to the property owner.
This means the council will not need to seek an extension of the closure order and the tenant can no longer return to the property. "Therefore, the property will be let to a new tenant once the owner has carried out necessary repairs. It should once more be a positive addition to the street scene.
"It's a matter of great regret residents of Peach Avenue have had to tolerate these problems. The problems suffered by residents should now hopefully be over." But Councillor Edgeller replied: "Why oh why has it taken over 12 months to sort this problem out? Can the cabinet member give the residents a guarantee that in the future Stafford Borough will not have to ensure such a terrible situation again and action will be taken sooner rather than later? "It's absolutely disgusting what residents have had to put up with, picking up the phone to say 'I've got rats running around' or 'I've got 16 rats I've killed in one day'.
It's absolutely ridiculous, and for it to hit the national papers and Midlands television and put the council in this situation is absolutely awful." Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it’s FREE.
