Whats this about??

[WHISTLED]

I have just got home and the first thing I noticed on pulling into my drive was my 2 wheelie bins were up against the house, its not bin day so when I left this morning they were at the far end of the drive against my back fence/gate. I live alone so they shouldnt have been moved and certainly not against the house to make a lovely little fire place for the kids.

I checked the dog was ok (house would be fine with her in the gadren) and went inside to find a note stuffed through the door from a 'Street Environment Manager' giving me a number to call regarding my 'overgrown garden and the waste to the rear of your driveway'

I should say at this point my house is privately owned in a private development surrpounded by other privatley owned properties. Now i have to admit that my front lawn (3'x3') needs cutting, it hasnt been done yet as it needs raking out and moss treating/feeding at the same time and I didnt have time while I was off last week. The 'waste' referred to is 2 x large cardboard boxes I had from stuff I bought Friday before last. I didnt have room for them in the bin and as we know they wont take it unless its in there so they were tucked behind the bins, (Bit soggy now because it rained last week but not really visible unless you came in the garden and moved the bins!)

2 points really fistly what the hell has it got to do with the council that my private home needs the lawn cutting and do they have the right to come in my garden?

Im more annoyed because they moved the bins to be honest and that I have a dog who would have been going mental with them stood there.

[Stephen]

Sounds odd. Give them a call and see what on earth their problem is.

[WHISTLED]

The only reason I havent is because I would be rather 'emotional' I dont know why im so annoyed but I am.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by WHISTLED

2 points really fistly what the hell has it got to do with the council that my private home needs the lawn cutting and do they have the right to come in my garden?

Well all these people who have jobs created by the huge increases in council tax over the last few years need to try and show they are earning their cash.
Still it might be nice to point him towards a local council estate with shells of cars and dumped fridges and cookers in the front gardens and tell him once they are removed he can come and talk to you.

[WHISTLED]

Well all these people who have jobs created by the huge increases in council tax over the last few years need to try and show they are earning their cash.
Still it might be nice to point him towards a local council estate with shells of cars and dumped fridges and cookers in the front gardens and tell him once they are removed he can come and talk to you.

My thoughts too - Mines new build but they have just rennovated all the private terraces around the corner (new windows, doors, sandblasted, painted exterior) to be honest so Im all in favour of improving the area and keeping it nice. Just question what my lawn has to do with them and why they are moving things that dont belong to them

[Matthew]

Sounds a bit iffy if you tell me, check the number you are ringing, if it doesn't match in with the local council's (I presume its council) numbers then there is something odd.

[papa smurf]

may be you've been reported by a loving neighbour for having [in there eyes an unsightly lawn etc] ..i my self was reported for lighting fires and poluting my neighbours air ,council waller came around looked for non existant evidence of non existant fires and left, no appology or owt , i phoned them and explained it appeard to be the local kitchen fitter burning mdf and lamminates[which i pointed out are poisonous when burned] to no avail he still does it .

[WHISTLED]

may be you've been reported by a loving neighbour for having

Nah its been sunny and also raimed so everyones lawn has shot up, including both sides of me.

Sounds a bit iffy if you tell me, check the number you are ringing, if it doesn't match in with the local council's (I presume its council) numbers then there is something odd.

Seems genuine, its not just a scrap note its a generic one that they have added my address too and few details.. Uwww i would love him to knock on tonight

Originally Posted by WHISTLED

Uwww i would love him to knock on tonight

I doubt that will happen, it will be like that Smith & Jones sketch where they sat in a van outside someone's house for 2 days & nights - then, when the person finally went out they rushed over to stick a 'called while you were out' note through the door...

I agree with you that the council should have better things to do with the money that you, after all, are paying them ..

[Jon T]

And what's to stop it being someone who's wages are funded by either the local Tenants and Residents Association, or one of the regeneration groups. It could even be someone working voluntary on belaf of a TRA, a bit like tidyness vigilantees.

If it's a private estate and you've got nothing fouling the footpath or road then the council havn't got any jurisdiction to do anything like what has happened to you. There aren't any "tidy garden" laws that I know of.

We get a bloke doing the same here, but we live on a housing associaton estate, and the bloke is employed by the three association's that have properties on here to make sure that people are abiding by their tenancies.

[WHISTLED]

And what's to stop it being someone who's wages are funded by either the local Tenants and Residents Association, or one of the regeneration groups. It could even be someone working voluntary on belaf of a TRA, a bit like tidyness vigilantees

Letter says Manchester city council actually.

[Fingy]

Truely strange. Phone them in the morning, you are more than able for them.

[Jon T]

Back to what I said originally, on a private estate, in a private house, there isn't any legal process for the council to get involved, not about the garden/grass anyway. The boxes on your driveway could used as a nest/nest material for rats, the council only have powers in that area if a complaiint has been made by another resident, and after investigating that complaint they have seen rats on you property.

At the end of the day, if you intend to dispose of the boxes in the near future, then I think this bloke will just go away, Sounds like someone acting on behalf of pest control to me. Don't think the long grass should have been mentioned though, only people I would have thought could enforce garden tidyness in your case is something like an estate management, which from reading your first post, you havn't got.

[WHISTLED]

This is them

[KaySquirrel]

If I was told that my property was in such a deplorable state, because I hadn't mowed the lawn, and I had left a couple of cardboard boxes behind the bins until I could fit them INTO the bin, I would make sure that my neighbourhood was held to the same high standard expected of me.

According to the website linked to, the council's Environment On Call team also provides the following services (this is not the complete list from the website):

Replacement bin - Delivered within two working days
Your bin isn't looking like you keep rubbish in there, now is it? Come on now, isn't it time for a nice shiny new bin so that the neighbourhood isn't full of old, sun-faded ones that aren't as pleasing to the eye?

Bulky Refuse Removal - Removed within 10 working days - on an appointment basis
You don't want me keeping those boxes behind my bin until I can find room to dispose of them? Send someone out to come and get them. Any appointment time is fine, except for between noon and 1pm because the dog needs his nap.

Street sweeping request - Swept by the end of the next working day
It's looking a bit dusty, with pebbles and little bits of stuff on the road. Please come sweep it. Also, I threw all my grass clippings on the road, since you were in such a rush to have me mow it, and you're coming out to sweep the road anyway..

Removal of dumped refuse - Inspected or removed by end of next working day
What is that I see, along the side of the road? Someone has carelessly discarded a bit of rubbish! GET THEE HENCE TO REMOVE IT lest it encourage others to drop bits of refuse willy-nilly!

Street light out - Inspected within five working days
There's that one that's out. And check all the others, too. Some of them are a bit too dim, so council workers spying into a private garden might miss serious lawncare offenses!

Highway issues; potholes etc. - Inspected within three working days
There's that little bit of uneven surface.. and some wear and tear around the sewage drain. I wouldn't want council workers spying on private gardens, in the dark because of that street light being abnormally dim, to trip and hurt themselves on uneven road surface.

Who's going to fault you for wanting to be SUCH a good example to the rest of the neighbourhood?