Landowner found guilty of breaching waste clearance notification

Date: Friday 29 October 2021

A landowner has been found guilty of breaching a Community Protection Notice over land at Goldthorn Hill, which was left in a completely unacceptable condition.

Mr Primpal Jangra, of Lea Road, Wolverhampton, was served with the Community Protection Notice and a deadline to clear the land after he repeatedly ignored council officers’ requests to clear waste at the former residential property. Magistrates found Mr Jangra guilty of breaching the Community Protection Notice and he was issued a court order to clear the land within 28 days.

Mattresses and furniture were among items dumped during the summer at the site. The area was also overgrown with 10ft high brambles and bushes, creating problems with vermin and pests entering neighbouring gardens/properties, local shops and food premises as a result of nests being formed. 

As part of the Community Protection Notice, Mr Jangra was given a deadline to clear the land, which he ignored, resulting in City of Wolverhampton Council clearing the waste and vegetation. The council was awarded £2,252.50 for the costs of the investigation, legal costs, and the clearance of household waste. The money awarded is reinvested back into the service to help bring those to justice who fail to keep to their environmental duties.

Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment and climate change, said: “While I understand that more often than not, it's not the landowners who dumps rubbish on their land, they are responsible for the upkeep and securing their land. When the council receives reports from local people about these problems, and it leads to issues where waste is attracting vermin which effects people, neighbours, local businesses and the environment - something must be done.

“To say this type of behaviour is disappointing is an understatement, but what this case does show is, landowners who repeatedly refuse to take responsibility for their land will be dealt with by the courts."