A homeowner received a hefty fine after failing to clean up an eyesore garden. Images released show the extent of the mess left in the out-of-control garden, which include overgrown plants and broken and collapsing fence panels.
The owner of the Manchester property ignored council demands to clean up their land has been ordered to pay thousands of pounds. Gilgal Investments Limited, the owner of a house on Plodder Lane, was issued with a Section 215 notice by Bolton Council in December 2021.
The notice required the business to remove discarded wood, plastic, glass, and other materials from the property, as well as cutting back the overgrown front garden. It also ordered the removal of trees and bushes from the back garden. Images of the home show the overgrown state it had been left in, the MEN reports.
After Gilgal Investments Limited failed to comply with the notice, the case was heard at Wigan Magistrates’ Court last month. The court heard the house was vacant and Bolton Council provided photo evidence of how the poor state of the property was impacting the surrounding neighbourhood.
In the defendant’s absence, magistrates imposed a fine of £1,000 alongside £1,103.65 in costs and a £100 victim surcharge. Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, local authorities can issue a Section 215 Notice to owners and occupiers when an area is ‘adversely affected by the condition of land’.
Failing to comply with a notice is a summary offence and can result in a maximum fine of £2,500 upon conviction. Bolton Council’s executive cabinet member for strategic housing and planning, Coun Toby Hewitt, said: “This property was left in an unacceptable state, and this can have a negative impact on nearby homes and businesses.
“The council will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers to force owners to act when their properties fall below a reasonable standard. This case sends a clear message that those who fail to cooperate with the council could face a conviction and a significant financial penalty.”
