East Suffolk Council
Homeowner prosecuted for breaching land maintenance order
A Beccles homeowner has reappeared in court for failing to comply with a legal notice to remove rubbish from outside his property.
Malcolm Read, of Brick Kiln Avenue, was originally served notice by East Suffolk Council to properly maintain the area of land in February 2022.
He was given four months to comply with the notice – issued under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act – but failed to clear the area and was summonsed to court in November 2022.
Mr Read pleaded guilty to breaching the notice and was ordered to pay £808 in fines and court costs.
He was given until the end of February 2023 to finally comply with the notice by clearing the front and rear gardens of rubbish and discarded items, including scrap metal and wood, plastic, bicycles, plastic containers, tarpaulin, sinks, wiring, household furniture and equipment, electrical items and plastic bags.
Legal action was renewed when enforcement officers visited in March 2023 to find the front garden containing plastic sheeting, containers, bottles, bags, household items and scrap wood.
In October, magistrates granted a three-month adjournment to allow more time for compliance, but Mr Read again failed to clear the site in time for his reappearance at court on Monday 15 January, when he admitted breaching the notice for a second time and was ordered to pay £1,100 in fines and costs.
A second charge of failing to comply with a Section 215 notice to remove a white Ford van from the front garden was withdrawn after the court heard that the vehicle had since been removed.
Cllr Kay Yule, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management, said:
“Mr Read was given ample opportunity to comply with the original notice and clear the rubbish from his gardens.
“But he continued to leave his property in a state that adversely affected the amenity of the neighbourhood.
“Prosecution is always a last resort, but we will take direct action against people whose actions continue to impinge on others.”