Neighbour's Rubbish, Visible From Road

[atalanta]

Is there any law or bye-law to prevent my neighbour from keeping a huge load of rubbish on land to the side of his house - visible from the road ? The rubbish seems to be the former contents of a bathroom- bath, washbasin, pipes, smashed panelling, broken furniture - all topped off with a loo. Extremely unsightly, and for all I know it may well be harbouring vermin.
It has been there for weeks now - can someone/anyone make him get rid of it ?

[Buenchico]

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Housing/helpsupportadvice/HealthNuisance/rubbish.aspx

[EDDIE51]

Who owns the land? it is up to the landowner to get him get rid of it.
The council would get involved if it is council owned land and he could be prosecuted for fly tipping. Otherwise unless the land owner takes action there is little you can do. If you can prove it does harbour vermin (rats mice) the council may be able to force him to remove it.

[atalanta]

Unfortunately, it is his own land.

[Peter Pedant]

well I think BC's link gives you the answer....

if you complain, the council may act against the owner.

and I think you can argue that it is the product of demolition....

rats as far as I can see cant be far away - there is one within a metre of either you or me as we read this....

[cazzz1975]

He may be in the process of doing work, we were doing something similar for the last few months, we have only just cleared our rubbish after a couple of months of it sitting outside the front driveway

[Farriercm]

IT is his land , mind your own business, or do you not own any land.

[kvalidir]

I'd be careful about coming off as un-neighbourly Atalanta, some people can get very awkward, all within the remit of the law if provoked and it is his own land and he might well be in the middle of building works. Does it really bother you that much to start what might become a potential war with a close neighbour?

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with both Cazzz and Kvalidir, I shall omit commenting on the reply between them.

I would initiate a friendly neighbourly chat, along the lines of 'Oh are you having lots of work done, doesn't it make a mess?' - if you get chatty with them they will be fair easier to approach at any later time.

[joko]

i agree you should mind your own business - it sounds like hes having work done, but really its his land and he is entitled to keep stuff on it whether you think its unsightly or not

regarding rats, as someone said, they are all over the place, and just because its a mound of rubble doesnt mean they are being 'harboured' in it = doubt would they be especially interested in it - they cant eat rubble.

[Jeza]

About 100 metres from me the council are replacing the sewers. They appear to have disturbed a rats nest and they are now everywhere. So much so that they are now laying poison.

[atalanta]

His land runs alongside mine, and some of the rubbish sticks out over my boundary. Some of this is dangerous, such as sharp edges or screws. A child approaching my side door could be injured. I have had to go out after dark with a torch to shift the worst bits. He is actually a nasty piece of work, and I don't think he would hesitate to cause trouble. I once found a sharp screw left upright (!) behind one of my tyres - and nobody but this neighbour had access to that path. I am hoping some authority can get involved instead of my having to face this unpleasant person, and perhaps have to suffer some comebacks.