Nottingham landlord at 'breaking point' after piles of rubbish dumped outside properties
A Nottingham landlord has described piles of rubbish dumped outside his house as "off the scale".
Phillip Stone's family rents out two homes at Newdigate Villas - a row of Victorian built properties in Radford - to students.
The landlord says wheelie bin owners leave them next to his property after they've been emptied, and that the problem has worsened with piles of black bin bags left blocking a fire escape to one of the homes in Radford.
"We are at breaking point"
Mr Stone said: "It has been a problem for myself and my family for over 20 years.
"Recently it has gone off the scale and we really are at breaking point, as nobody in authority seems to care or is able to help. It has become an all-consuming matter."
Since residents of Newdigate Villas return their wheelie bins to their yards after collection, it has been claimed that tenants from nearby HMO properties and businesses in Alfreton Road may be responsible for the problem.
Mr Stone says he has looked inside some of the bags and found discarded food and human hair from a nearby barbers or hair salon.
"Some residents from flats and commercial properties do not even deposit waste in bins any longer, they just dump black bags constantly outside the flat," he said.
"Often the bin collections do not take place, as bins are contaminated with incorrect waste, leading to overflows and eventually after complaining a special team do come to remove all waste, only for the cycle to begin all over again.
"The dumping of waste is a risk to our students, as it blocks an emergency fire exit, and bins on the pavement cause a constant nuisance to blind and disabled members of the public."
Mr Stone and his brother Ian have been in constant discussions with Nottingham City Council over the last four months but they say the problem has persisted, despite a site meeting taking place.
"We are in constant communication with them to inform them of build ups of waste, requesting removal," he said.
Some of the black bags have contained out of date food from Pasta Evangelists in Alfreton Road, as well as boxes with their name and delivery address. Other bags have contained mobile phone accessories.
There have also been instances of fly tipping with furniture, beds and white goods left on the pavement outside the property.
"The problem has become increasingly worse"
Mr Stone said: "We have tried relentlessly to find a solution to this problem and despite requests from various departments, have had very little help or success in doing so.
"Nottingham City Council often clear the street but within 24 hours more rubbish is dumped, and the problem returns.
"In fact, over the last five years the problem has become increasingly worse, and it is totally unfair to expect our tenants to live adjacent a rubbish tip as this is an environmental health issue as well as a safety issue.
"I have asked the question, do these commercial enterprises have a waste management plan and do they pay for commercial waste disposal as I believe is necessary to hold a commercial trading licence. Nobody at Nottingham City Council can give me an answer."
One of the officials said in an email to Mr Stone that he was "frustrated that this issue continues to happen", adding that a CPO would be visiting to look for evidence against the offenders and if found enforcement action would be taken.
A spokeswoman for Pasta Evangelists, a nationwide pasta delivery company, said they had spoken to the takeaway in Alfreton Road.
She said: "Please rest assured that the Nottingham site has a commercial waste plan in place. Pasta Evangelists work with a nationwide reputable waste management company who have notified us that the waste will be cleared up within 48 hours."
Nottingham City Council has been contacted for a response.
RESPONSE
Within 24 hours of the story, two large commercial waste bins arrived at the scene in Radford, according to the property landlord.
Mr Stone said the transformation was "amazing" and he hopes it will stay that way.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...