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Enforcement action taken on garden eyesores

Author: Nick Griffin

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Three garden eyesores have been cleared by Barnet Council after the owners ignored repeated planning enforcement requests to take action.

Teams cleared overgrown vegetation and rubbish from the gardens of three properties in the borough after the owners failed to heed official notices requiring them to clear their land.

The owners will now have to foot the bill for the work being carried out.

At one of the properties in Gaydon Lane, Colindale, teams removed around four trailer loads of rubbish from the front and back gardens.

At another property in Alverstone Avenue, Oakleigh Park, an overgrown back garden was cleared, and in Birley Road, Whetstone, teams cleared a badly overgrown and neglected vacant plot of land in the street.

The council’s planning enforcement team is able to issue ‘untidy land notices’ to the owners specifying what needs to be done to address the problem. If the owner fails to take any action, the council has the power to enter the land and carry out the work.

The owners will then be required to pay for the cost of the work, or a charge can be placed against the property so that the costs can be recovered at the point at which it is sold.

Councillor Melvin Cohen, Chairman of the Planning Committee, said: “The work carried out by the council highlights the responsibilities owners have for keeping their property in good order.

“In these cases, the council was left with no other option but to take enforcement action.

“It is very important that gardens and land are cared for and maintained to prevent them from becoming a blight on the local area.”