Seaford resident receives heavy fine for ‘junkyard garden’

The property in East Dean Rise became known as the ‘junkyard garden’ due to the large quantity of debris that filled the front, rear and side of the house.

Lewes District councillor Julie Carr said: “The outside of this property had become a blight on the landscape for people living nearby and those using a footpath next to it.

“Our requests to the resident to properly dispose of the waste, which ranged from white goods to old road signs, fell on deaf ears so we had to take direct action ourselves."

The resident had previously been served with a council order to clean up the mess, but did not comply within the two-month time frame.

The charge on the house was made to cover the costs of the clearance work, after it took council contractors two-and-a-half days to remove the rubbish that had been on view to neighbours and people using the nearby footpath.

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The money will be recovered when the property is sold.

Councillor Carr added: “Anyone else who uses their garden as a junkyard should be aware that they will not get away with damaging the look of the neighbourhood.”