Homeowners prosecuted over unsightly waste in Carlton in Lindrick

Carlton in Lindrick residents Emma Hollingsworth and Jonathan Dickson dumped a number of items including bed bases, sofas, mattresses, and tables in the garden of 4 Cheviot Court.

Speaking about the incident Councilor Darrell Pulk, Cabinet Member for Environment and Energy said: “This couple had plenty of opportunities to remove the waste from their garden, but they refused to follow the warnings provided by our Environmental Health Officers and were hit with a substantially larger bill.

“As well as being unsightly, the waste was likely to attract vermin which would have caused neighbouring properties a number of problems. By taking this action it sends a clear message to the community that we take these matters seriously and we will take appropriate legal action.”

Bassetlaw District Council Environmental Health Officers were alerted to the problem in June 2023 and when they visited the property in July, they issued a Community Protection Warning and asked Hollingsworth and Dickson to clear the waste.

The residents took no action and a Community Protection Notice was issued that stated if the waste was not cleared in 10 days, the Council would remove the waste and the residents would be invoiced for the costs.

Again, no action was taken and the Council removed the waste at a cost of £388. However, the couple did not pay the invoice and the Council took court action to seek a prosecution and recover its costs.

On January 4, Mansfield Magistrates Court heard that Hollingsworth and Dickson had pleaded guilty by post to the offence of failing to comply with a Community Protection Notice contrary to Section 48(1) and (2) of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

They were each ordered to pay compensation costs of £194 to Bassetlaw District Council in relation to the clean-up, a fine of £146, a victim surcharge of £58 and £510 towards the council’s legal costs, totalling £1,816.