Thanet council is investigating complaints of a pile of waste and old mattresses in a Cliftonville garden that residents say has been building up for years and is “a potential breeding place for vermin.”
Matt Shoul, who is the outgoing chairperson for Athelstan Road Tenants and Residents Association [ARTRA] says he has been in communication with Thanet council enforcement and the landlord of the property – which featured in the Netflix series Top Boy – for several years over the issue.
A clearance notice has previously been issued following complaints from residents but the eyesore remains.
One neighbour said: “”I feel sick at the thought of all that rubbish being piled up next to our home. It is an environmental health concern.
“Recently we’ve had our black bins which we paid for removed by the council for no reason, and we are constantly on the phone to them to bring them back, but they do not respond. They ignore us or tell us they will escalate it and nothing happens.
“It genuinely it feels like they are working against us, not with us, to help tackle this rubbish. Hopefully the neighbours can grasp the nettle and remove all those disgusting mattresses.”
Cllr Heather Keen, Thanet council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Whilst we are unable to comment on individual cases while an investigation is going on, I can confirm that we are aware of this build-up of rubbish on private property, along with at a number of other locations in Cliftonville.
“Build ups of waste can create a public health hazard and attract vermin. We can and do enforce clearance by the landowner when this situation occurs on privately owned land.
“There is a complex enforcement process to follow when landowners do not comply with notices to remove waste, and this can take some time to complete.
“If you have reported a fly-tip, but it hasn’t been removed yet, rest assured that we will be investigating it, and removing the rubbish as soon as possible.
“Residents can be confident that keeping our neighbourhoods clean is a top priority for the council, and we will take enforcement action where we need to.”
