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2008
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June 2008
> Resident Injunction Granted In Workington
Derwent & Solway Housing Association (D&S) has successfully applied for an injunction to deter one of their tenants from repeatedly allowing the outside of their property to become littered with household waste.
Other residents’ and D&S had been experiencing ongoing problems with their resident, Tara Webster of Wastwater Avenue, Westfield, Workington, for a number of years. At one time the outside of the property was strewn with 15 bin liners of household rubbish, discarded white goods, broken toys, damaged wooden doors and disused items of furniture.
Following several visits D&S staff cleared the garden area and arranged collections of furniture in conjunction with Allerdale Borough Council in the hope that the problem would be eradicated. Unfortunately complaints from neighbours continued about the unsightly state of the property. In response to this, D&S decided to apply for an injunction order through Whitehaven County Court.
At the application hearing on 18 June 2008, the judge granted the injunction for a two-year period. The order prohibits Ms Webster from allowing rubbish or household items to be littered around the garden areas, or stored for longer than a reasonable collection time. If the order is breached, the tenant could be found in contempt of court and may face a heavy fine, a prison sentence, or both.
Robert Porter, Director of Derwent & Solway Housing Association said:
“We are committed to maintaining and enhancing our residents’ surroundings and constantly strive to identify and help tenants who have genuine problems maintaining their property to an acceptable standard. However, in situations like this, we will not hesitate in taking the necessary action through the courts with the interests of our residents and their visitors in mind.”
Derwent & Solway Housing Association are working in conjunction with Allerdale Borough Council and other external agencies to improve the environment in the Workington area. The street scene initiative is being introduced to supply residents with information about waste disposal and recycling initiatives, allowing enforcement action to be taken against those who are see dumping rubbish and fly tipping within the community.