A rubbish build-up is commonly referred to as an “accumulation of waste”.

The waste is usually kept in the garden or yard and has built up over a long period of time and may consist of a number of items; accumulations of waste are:

  • general waste or rubbish associated with a private, domestic or commercial property that has been caused by the owner or occupier, landlord or tenant of the property

Accumulations of waste does not include:

  • tree leaves
  • rubbish that suddenly appears or that has not been caused by the owner or occupier, landlord or tenant of the property – these are all types of flytipping.

The occupier may need advice or a notice to ensure they clear the waste. It is always best to speak to the householder first to offer them help or advice on collection arrangements.

If you find speaking to the householder does not help then you can refer the case to us for investigation. We will go to the property to check the type of waste, how much there is and how it effects those living in the area.

If the property is empty, then we will contact the owner.  For land that is not directly connected to a property we will undertake a land registry check. If the check comes back as unregistered, we would not be able to take any further action and we will advise you accordingly. Therefore, if you know who owns the land / property involved please do let us know as soon as possible.

If we have been able to contact the owner they will be provided with a warning letter telling them to resolve the issue within 14-28 days. This is known as the informal period.

If the matter is resolved at the informal stage, the result will be visible; therefore, no further action will be taken.

If it remains unresolved at the informal stage, we will contact you to advise of our next steps and timescales.

Report an accumulation of waste - Environmental Health 

Please Note: We are unable to deal with communal areas such as passageways behind properties and car parking areas.

These are usually for access and egress for a number of properties and therefore it is the responsibility of the landowner.

There may be number of landowners, each owning a piece of the communal area but generally the land belongs to the property at the front of the piece of land. 

If you need to check the ownership, it is best to speak to the householders in the location or you can check using the land registry site.

Please use the form below to report a build up of rubbish or waste on a private, domestic or commercial property (including front and back gardens) in relation to food waste, animal faeces, and items that could be prejudicial to health.

Report an accumulation of waste to the environmental health team

Report an accumulation of waste - Street Management

Please note: We cannot accept reports for communal areas, e.g. passageways behind houses and car parking areas.

Please use the form below to report a build up of rubbish or waste on a private, domestic or commercial property (on the front, visible from the street) in relation to refuse and household items.

Report an accumulation of waste to the street management team

After initial investigation we will see if it is something we can deal with. Your case will be given to an Officer from the relevant service and they will provide you with feedback on the case.

Our cleansing services provide various recycling and waste collection services including domestic waste collection and recyclable domestic waste collections.

If you want to report an accumulation of litter in public places, please use the form below:

Report an accumulation of litter in public places

Last updated: Thu 5th January, 2023 @ 15:31