Nuisance neighbour in Towcester fined for dumping waste in quiet residential street

The Herbert Gardens resident had piled the rubbish on his drive and front garden.

On March 11, the man was fined £500 at Northampton Magistrates' Court having claimed he was not guilty of breaching an enforcement notice issued by South Northamptonshire Council.

He was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge along with the council's costs of around £9,600.

Cllr Roger Clarke, SNC’s portfolio holder for planning, said: "You don’t need to be a lawyer or a planning expert to see how and why this was a nuisance to neighbours.

"He was given plenty of warning, failed to respond to repeated attempts to start a dialogue and ignored the enforcement notice for four months.

"We were left with no other option but to prosecute.

"People can and do run businesses from home, but they should be in no doubt that if their activities start to diminish their neighbours’ quality of life, we will take action where ever possible."

SNC issued the enforcement notice on the basis that the visual amenity was damaged by the change of use of the land and the storage of the waste, and that it was an unpleasant sight for neighbourson The Shires Estate and passers-by.

The notice also cited the original planning permission for the property, which required the driveway and garage to be clear and available for the storage of a motor vehicle.