Our nightmare neighbour turned our street into a makeshift rubbish tip – he’s FINALLY been kicked out
A NIGHTMARE neighbour who turned his street into a makeshift rubbish tip has finally been kicked out.
A "house of horrors", turned into a makeshift tip, is set to finally be cleared after a nightmare tenant was evicted from the property.
Families claimed their lives had been made unbearable for over a year by the festering mountain of waste on Peach Avenue in Stafford, Staffordshire.
Disgusted homeowners said the eyesore had attracted rats, caused health problems for their children and accused council bosses of doing nothing to help.
After their plight made headlines, Stafford Borough Council stepped in and took court action against tenant Steven Glover.
He has now been evicted from the property after the authority secured a three-month closure order from magistrates.
read more on property
It follows Mr Glover's failure to comply with a notice requiring him to remove the tonnes of waste and restore the garden to its original condition.
This means no one is allowed to enter the property for the next three months, except emergency services or council workers.
Work has now started to remove the piles of debris stacked up on the driveway - including rubble, sofas, mattresses, wooden panels, fridges and carpets.
One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "Everyone is breathing a huge sigh of relief but it's a bit of a joke it has taken this long.
Most read in Money
"We've since had rats in our house and trapped 13 so far.
"We've been here 20 years and never had them before so we know its all down to that mess.
"And I don't think it's any coincidence this all got sorted as soon as the council got some bad publicity over it.
"But at least it looks to finally be over now but we'll believe it when we see it. It's certainly a step in the right direction."
Locals claimed the tenant had been hoarding waste and burning it day and night instead of disposing of it at the local tip.
They said their lives were made a misery by the "stinking" health hazard which sat just yards away from a primary school.
One mum-of-two, who did not want to be named, said: ";I first complained to the council last August and it has just snowballed from there.
It absolutely stinks
anonymous neighbour
"In November they were able to confirm to me they didn't have a licence to do this, yet nothing was done.
"There's rats everywhere, it towers so high I don't know how it hasn't fallen over yet and it absolutely stinks.
"There's metal spilling out into the street, it's not just confined to the garden, I've lost count of how many cars have had their tyres punctured.
"It's not safe. It's a major health hazard and it's been allowed to rot for a year.
"There's debris everywhere. He'll come out and smash the glass.
"I'm just so disheartened that we've been left to live next to this without anyone seemingly wanting to help."
'LEGAL PROCESS'
The council stated they will bill the tenant to recover the cleanup costs, which are expected to total thousands of pounds.
Councillor Ian Fordham, cabinet member for environment, said: "I hope this will bring an end to the misery this person has brought to the residents of Peach Avenue.
"It was crucial that we had the proper legal process in place to not only get this unsightly mess removed but to ensure it did not happen on this land again.
"We have secured a Closure Order from the courts that bans anyone, including the tenant, from stepping foot on the property.
"If they do they can be arrested.
"We have arranged for the house to be boarded up and for this significant amount of rubbish to be removed - and we will be billing the tenant or owner for the cost of doing that."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Cllr Ian Fordham revealed that the council will be working closely with the owner to restore the property.
He added: "Thank you to the police and other partners for their help in making sure we get the right outcome for the neighbours and we will work with residents to address any ongoing concerns they may have."
Complaining about your neighbour
If your neighbour is noisy or stops you feeling comfortable, try to discuss it with them if you can. If that doesn’t work there are other ways you can ask them to stop, for example by reporting them to the council.
Keep records
Make a note whenever the problem happens - your records will be useful if you decide to take things further.
Write as much detail as possible. Include what happened, the length of time and how it affected you.
Keep any messages your neighbour sends you and collect evidence if you feel safe to. For example, take a photo of rubbish that’s been dumped in your garden.
Talking to your neighbour
Only talk to your neighbour if you feel safe and comfortable.
It’s quicker to talk face to face - but you can write, text or call if that’s easier. You can take someone with you for support.
Tell your neighbour how their behaviour is affecting you and what would help. Listen to your neighbour and see if you can reach a compromise together.
Getting help from a mediator
You can ask a mediator for help if you want to put things right but you can’t agree how. A mediator is someone who doesn’t know either of you and who’s trained to help people resolve disagreements.
It’s a good idea to ask your council if they can help you find a mediator - they might help even if you’re not renting from the council.
You can on GOV.UK.
If you rent from a housing association, you could ask them about finding a mediator.
If you still need help, you can on GOV.UK.
You might have to pay for a mediator.
If you’re unhappy with the council or landlord’s response
If there have been a number of complaints about anti-social behaviour, you might be able to get the problem looked at again - this is called a ‘community trigger’. Check your local council’s website for how it works in your area.
If you’re still not happy with a housing association or the council, complain using their complaints process - you’ll find it on their website.
If you still think they haven’t acted as they should, you can go to an ombudsman. They’ll look at your complaint and decide if the council or housing association should put things right.
To complain about a housing association, .
To complain about the council, .
