Fines handed out in enforcement crackdown

July 28, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Fines handed out in enforcement crackdown

Two residents and a local business have been fined over £2,500 for a variety of offences and ignoring council warnings (Southend Magistrates Court, Wednesday 22 July 2015).

Mr Gordon, of 29 Bunting Avenue was fined £582 including costs for continuing to drive over the public highway and pavement to his home, despite not having a proper private vehicular crossing (dropped kerb) installed. Mr Gordon was served a section 184 notice which he breached and therefore Court action was taken. Two further cases were adjourned for defendants to produce more evidence and further cases are also expected in court as the council’s Environmental Care Team issued 230 notices relating to private vehicular crossing breaches in 2014/15.

Mr Hasmi, of 208 West Road was served with and ignored a Section 215 notice to remove rubbish and overgrowth from his front garden. He refused to do this and was therefore prosecuted. He was fined £735 including costs. Further cases could come forward as the council issued 400 warning letters and then 36 statutory notices in 2014/15 to residents for rubbish and overgrowth in front gardens.

Local business Maplin Timber, based in Stock Road were found guilty and fined £1,185 (including costs) for blocking the highway with significant numbers of pallets and piles of wood that prevented pedestrians and motorists passing safely. The blockage was not authorised and the company were therefore prosecuted for breaching highway law.

Executive Councillor for Public protection, Waste and Transport, Cllr Martin Terry, says: “I am delighted that the council has enforced against these offences and I hope that it sends out a clear message that we will not tolerate these types of actions which are damaging to our environment, dangerous and also costly to the public purse.

“If residents want to cross a footpath to park in front of their home, they must have a proper dropped kerb installed and to go through the right process which is in place for a good reason and the vast majority of residents follow.

“Installing a dropped kerb involves assessing safety, strengthening the sub base of the whole pavement area that will be driven over and ensuring that gas and water pipes and cabling below ground are not damaged. Ignoring this results in broken kerbs and slabs which are dangerous trip hazards and cost the council significant amounts of money to replace. In this world of dwindling resources, we cannot and will not allow this to happen, so where we can gather evidence and have a good case we will take action.

“In regards to the refusal to remove rubbish and overgrowth we are determined and have shown that we are tackling this blight and will enforce against those who ignore reasonable council requests for action.”

Further info:
Residents wishing to apply for a private vehicular crossing (dropped kerb) can do so here:
http://tinyurl.com/npocrtl
In addition to the cases outlined above, 20 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued in 2014/15 for dog fouling, littering and breaching commercial waste regulations. This was after 503 Duty of Care notices were issued which require businesses to provide evidence their commercial waste is disposed of lawfully.