Council chops down man’s garden and slaps him with £3k fine – but who was in the wrong?
A COUNCIL chopped down a man’s “jungle” garden and slapped him with a £3,000 fine after he let it grow out of control.
Neighbours complained to their local council about the “horrendously overgrown” eyesore in Eastbourne, East Sussex, last July.
The homeowner promised to get rid of undergrowth within three months but ended up doing nothing about the huge shrubs, the authority said.
Contractors from Eastbourne Borough Council had to wade through and hack back bushes with a chainsaw to gain access to the garden in late October.
They then began a mammoth two-day clearing operation, during which a greenhouse was found to be covered in ivy.
A section 215 untidy land notice was served by the council that gave the nightmare neighbour three months to tidy up their land.
The notice allows councils to demand land be cleaned up when it “damages the amenity” of a neighbourhood.
Before issuing one town halls need to consider the site’s condition, the impact on the surrounding area and the scope of their powers.
Around 80 per cent of such notices issued nationally have been complied with since 1999.
Councillor Colin Swansborough, cabinet member for place services at Eastbourne Borough Council, said after the garden was cleared: “Taking enforcement action is a last resort, but those who ignore the advice of our officers should be in no doubt that we will take direct action if needed.
“Quite understandably some residents in Park Avenue wanted this horrendously overgrown garden jungle cut back.
“I’m all for giving wildlife a home and allowing the grass to grow and hedgerows to flourish, but this was beyond any reasonable interpretation of that approach to gardening.”
The charge on the house was made to cover the costs of the clearance work and will be recovered when the property is sold.
A court hearing was not needed to put the charge on the property as the notice issued by the council was ignored by the homeowner, EBC said.