Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Front Gardens as rubbish tips
Despite what some of the local builders and landlords may believe, it is not permitted to store building rubbish in your front garden. Wandering about the Ladder, I've noticed a couple of gardens that are now full and overflowing with waste that should be in a skip.
You can report it. The best way may be the direct approach. I received this information below after trying and failing to report a particularly bad front garden, a repeat offender, through the new app.
I was contacted by the Single Frontline Technical Support Team Leader who suggested that I report these gardens by calling 020 8489 1335 or emailing frontline@haringey.gov.uk. So I think I will because one garden in particular if really taking the biscuit for skip avoidance.
Tags for Forum Posts: front gardens
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Finsbury Park Ranger on
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Ok, I accept I've used my personal experience of previous poor council service at times and applied this without prior knowledge to this team and therefore unfairly towards them, I'm sorry, I was having a bad day.
I can also happily report the junk garden on my road is now happily spotless, whether it's coincidence or not, it's certainly deserves to be noted.
Apologies for those whose jobs may be at risk.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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UPDATE: Just been phoned to let me know that the property in question has been served a notice. So that worked.
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Well done.
What's the pothole number, anyone know? Will be fun to test.
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Well there was a "pothole blitz' in May where Claire Kober herself was coming round to mend them.
There's a phone number
Hotline: 020 8489 1335
and an email potholes@haringey.gov.uk
More here
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This house is a repeat offender and the pile is often so high it threatens to slide off into the street and Harringay Passage.
They do have the room for a skip but last time (after a visit by the council for stacking the garden) they didn't get a skip licence before getting a skip. Cowboy development it seems is still not a thing of the past on the Ladder.
With regard to your other suggestion, its been suggested by Alan to the relevant people as a solution. It has not been considered, as far as I know, despite it being an eminently sensible idea.
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Permalink Reply by Bethany on
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I completely agree with the traffic warden idea...
We have also used our front garden as storage before taking it to the tip, hopefully our neighbours can see that we're trying to improve what was a run down house an have been doing our best to clear it.
It was never enough at anyone time to warrant a skip but I appreciate that it's not nice to look at. I don't want to look at it either!
What are the rules exactly?
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The Environmental Protection Act enables the Council to require occupiers and landowners to remove waste that has been deposited illegally. The Council can also take steps under the Town and Country Planning Act to require land to be cleared up if its condition has a negative effect on the amenity of the local area.
From the council website.
The key here is has a negative effect on the amenity of the local area - thus someone who puts a few items out before going to the tip isn't going to affect anyone in the long term. A builder who is developing a property and clearly needs a skip but doesn't get one storing dangerous levels of waste in the front garden for weeks at a time is creating a negative effect. Ditto a house/landlord that uses a front garden to dump without any intention of clearing it to the tip Another side effect is pest invasion, namely rats, can result from this kind of behaviour as well as being a safety hazard both to visitors to the property or, in the case of the above house, even to those passing it.
So my post is aimed at dealing with front gardens that are used long term where a skip can and should be used or ones which landlords see as a sort of waste disposal area because they are too cheap to get things taken away.
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Okay, thanks for clarifying...Although it does seem like a slightly grey area.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I agree with both of you. The two extremes of the spectrum are pretty much common sense. But there seems a grey middle. Perhaps this might help.
Member Enquiry (Sent by me to Haringey at 11:12 am. Copied to the councillors for Harringay and St Ann's wards; to Lyn Garner, Director of Environment; and John Bevan "cabinet" councillor.
Please see the discussion thread on Harringay Online Community website. http://bit.ly/15q1ze9 The particular issue under discussion is: how far it is permissible/reasonable for residents to use their front gardens/yard or similar for the temporary storage of waste? And in what circumstances would this be considered unacceptable by the Council and could lead to legal action?Contributors to the discussion thread have, very reasonably, pointed out that they will reluctantly use their front garden/yard as temporary holding space e.g. when works are underway and they are gradually moving decorating or other waste from their homes.On the discussion thread two extremes are described.Action is plainly needed where rubbish is piled up; doesn't get removed, and even starts to encroach onto the pavement. (Sometimes by landlords or owners who do this repeatedly.)The other end of the spectrum is where residents use their front garden/yard as a very temporary holding area. I assume examples might be: awaiting a Veolia collection; or en route to the Reuse & Recycling Centres at the weekend. I also assume the Council would not be concerned about this and leave it to residents' common sense.But the middle range is uncertain. One resident has now asked: "What are the rules exactly?"Can you please arrange for someone to read the discussion thread and post a helpful, practical and authoritative response on Harringay Online website. If this information is already set out on the Council's website, please provide the link.Thanks for your help.Alan StantonTottenham Hale ward councillor
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Apologies Liz, because you - sort of - invited me to comment in this thread, and so far I haven't picked up your specific invitations.
I must admit that I found it hard to know where to start since "Finsbury Park Ranger" seems so ready to dismiss the possible value of Council staff. Where do you begin a dialogue about a range of services with someone who says the people providing them "probably deserve" to lose their jobs. And who thinks solutions to problems are "pretty simple".
Blame All; or Praise All. Not a choice I can accept. Or at least not for very long. Although increasingly there are situations where the enormity of failure by the Council leadership and some senior officers is breathtaking.
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
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This was my reply ...
Dear Sir
This email is sent to you in regards to your compliant in relation to waste in rear gardens unfortunately there is no legislation which allows us to serve on people to remove waste from their rear garden at this present moment in time.
We were able to serve notices under the Town & Country Planning Act section 215 but as we cannot gain access to the property to remove any waste it was deemed not to serve this notice.
Respectfully
Neighbourhood Officer
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I am not a practising lawyer, but it's not my reading of this section that it's restricted only to front gardens. (Although your previous post did say you were complaining about "a tip front garden.")
A very brief websearch took me to this Best Practice Guidance issued in January 2005. It does specifically mention frontages. But it also contains rear gardens among its case studies. So unless this has been subsequently amended the answer you got appears inaccurate.
Although I'd guess that not everyone shares the same idea of what constitutes a tip rear garden. Also please bear in mind that a local council will have to convince a court.
Anyway can I suggest FPR, that you contact your ward councillor, copy them your photos and ask them to take this up. This is the very best time to get their cooperation as the London borough elections are in 221 days. (Figure taken from the very handy countdown clock on the website of Barnet Blogger Mr Mustard. It shows the days, hours, minutes and seconds ticking away.)
(Tottenham Hale ward councillor)
(P.S. I've had it confirmed that Kober's Council does plan a cut of over £200,000 to the "Frontline" Environment Service in the budget for next year. After the election; what a surprise. True this is due to government cuts. But at the same time there always seems enough money for some consultants; a few vanity projects; and stupid decisions like Pinkham Way.)
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