Luton residents fined for storing waste in their front gardens

Both residents had been served with Community Protection Notices (CPN) by the council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team.

On Tuesday, November, 26, Mrs Taslima Begum of Bristol Road, was fined £734 in total, for the offence failing to comply with a CPN to remove a fridge/freezer and unsightly waste from her front garden. This included the fine of £440, costs of £250 and a Surcharge of £44, with a 28 day collection order.

On the same date, Miss Persida-Maria Ciurar of Westbourne Road, was also fined £734 in total, for the offence failing to comply with a CPN to remove 10 bags of household waste, one internal door and one sofa cushion from the front garden of her property. This included the fine of £440, costs of £250 and a Surcharge of £44, with a 28 day collection order.

Both failed to contact the court or attend and were found guilty in their absence.

Laura Church, Director of Place and Infrastructure, said: “We hope that these prosecutions send the message that we will take enforcement action against people who show a disregard for the environment and their local area.’

“We have two excellent household waste recycling centres and a bulky waste collection service that residents can use if they have excess rubbish to get rid of, so there is simply no excuse for waste to be stored in this manner.

"We want the town to be a great environment for people to live and work in, and reducing unsightly waste will have a major impact on the appearance of our streets.”

Residents also have the option of using an independent waste carrier to take bulky items away, they can check they are registered on the Environment Agency website .

It is the responsibility of the householder to choose someone who’s registered and make sure their waste is disposed of properly.

Failure to do so could result in prosecution and a fine.

To report waste problems, as well as log any other issues you’ve seen across the town, visit www.luton.gov.uk/myaccount to register and report a problem.