January 9th, 2023.



A Seaford resident who failed to heed a council order to clear their eyesore garden which was piled high with rubbish has been given a £2,700 charge on their house.

It took Lewes District Council contractors two and a half days to remove the mess that filled the front, rear and side garden of the property in East Dean Rise.

The resident had previously been served with a council order to clean up the ‘large quantity of debris’ within two months but did not comply. With the rubbish on view to neighbours and people using a nearby footpath for some time, the 'junkyard' garden was spoiling the local environment.

Councillor Julie Carr, Cabinet Member for Recycling, Waste and Open Spaces, 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.

“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.”

The charge on the house was made to cover the costs of the clearance work and will be recovered when the property is sold.