Beccles homeowner Malcolm Read fined after two breaches of land maintenance order

A man from Beccles has been fined after twice failing to comply with a court order to remove rubbish which had built up at his home.

Malcolm Read was originally handed a land maintenance order by East Suffolk Council in February 2022 for not removing waste and discarded items from his Brick Kiln Avenue home.

Read was ordered to clear the area within four months – but he was summoned back to court when it was found he had failed to do so by November of the same year.

He pleaded guilty and was fined £808 plus court costs, before being given until February 2023 to clear his home.

This involved clearing the front and back gardens of rubbish and discarded items

A range of waste, including scrap metal and wood, plastic, bicycles, plastic containers, tarpaulin, sinks, wiring, household furniture and equipment, electrical items and plastic bags were all dumped at the property.

Enforcement officers then paid a visit to Mr Read in March last year.

Legal action resumed after they found plastic sheeting, containers, bottles, bags, household items and scrap wood in his front garden.

Appearing before Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in October, Mr Read was granted three additional months to comply with the order.

However, he failed to clear it once again before his next court date on January 15.

Read admitted to breaching the order for a second time, and was ordered to pay £1,100 in fines and costs.

However, a second charge of failing to comply with a Section 215 notice to remove a white Ford van from the front garden was withdrawn after the court found the vehicle in question has been removed.

Cllr Kay Yule, who sits as East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for planning and coastal management, said: “Mr Read was given ample opportunity to comply with the original notice and clear the rubbish from his gardens.

“But he continued to leave his property in a state that adversely affected the amenity of the neighbourhood.

“Prosecution is always a last resort, but we will take direct action against people whose actions continue to impinge on others.”