Clean neighbourhoods enforcement

About clean neighbourhoods enforcement

We investigate complaints about a wide range of issues such as blocked drains, rubbish dumping and the state of premises.

If your complaint is about a council home, please contact Six Town Housing.

Enforcement may be necessary to remedy situations which are a danger to public health or are a statutory nuisance.

Our enforcement policy

Any action will be carried out in accordance with our enforcement policy. You can download a copy of our enforcement policy from the 'Downloads' section at the right-hand of this web page.

Issues we investigate

Problems with drains and sewers
Rubbish on private land
Filthy or verminous properties
Problems with pests
Properties open to unauthorised access

Problems with drains and sewers

Drains

A drain is a pipe that carries sewage and/or surface water from a single property. They are often referred to as private drains because responsibility for clearance and maintenance lies with the owner of the property.

Lateral drains

A lateral drain is that part of a private drain outside the boundary of a property to the point at which it connects with a sewer.

Sewers

A sewer is a pipeline carrying sewage and/or surface water from more than one property

How do I know if my drains are blocked?

If your drain is blocked you will usually know because your waste will stop going away when you flush the toilet, or gullies outside will overflow. There will also probably be a smell around drains and inspection chambers. If none of your neighbours are affected then the likelihood is that your drain is blocked. If your neighbours are also affected it is likely that there is a problem on the sewer.

What shall I do if my drains are blocked?

Responsibility for the clearance of blockages in and repairs to private drains usually lies with the property owner. Check first to see if you are covered by any insurance schemes you may have. If you cannot clear the blockage yourself, you can contact a specialist drainage contractor or plumber to clear the drain and/or carry out any repairs. Alternatively our Pest Control Team offer a drain rodding service for which there is a charge. Tel 0161 253 5353. during normal office hours.

What shall I do if there is a blocked or defective sewer?

From 1 October 2011 responsibility for the clearance of blockages in and repairs to most drains outside your property boundary (lateral drains) and most sewers will normally be the responsibility of United Utilities.

If you think you have a problem on a lateral drain or sewer, you should report it to United Utilities by telephoning 0845 746 2200.

If you are not sure who is responsible please visit the United Utilities 'Explain a drain' webpage which has some useful information that may help confirm the situation.

Alternatively, we may be able to discuss the matter to offer clarification and in unusual cases we may carry out a site investigation.

If you live in rented accommodation and have a drainage problem, contact your landlord or Housing Association. For Six Town Housing tenants ring Freephone (landline only) 0808 144 5368 or 0161 686 8368 or go to the Six Town Housing website.

If your problem relates to a drainage issue on a neighbouring property that is not being dealt with, our officers may be able to investigate and refer the matter to the appropriate agency or take enforcement action where appropriate

Pipes and equipment that will not be the responsibility of United Utilities or the Local Authority include the following.

• Water supply pipes within your property boundary
• Existing surface water sewers that do not drain to a public sewer
• Privately owned sewage treatment works and pipes connected to them
• Privately owned septic tanks and cesspits

However, if you experience a problem with any of these, we may be able to offer advice or help

If you have water in your garden that is related to a watercourse, you should contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

Rubbish on private land

Accumulations of rubbish in people's gardens or yards can cause a nuisance. If the rubbish contains food waste or items such as mattresses, cardboard, sofas, this can attract flies and vermin and can cause unpleasant smells.

Officers in the Clean Neighbourhoods team can investigate these types of complaint as they have powers to deal with accumulations of rubbish on private land that may be a public health nuisance or giving harbourage to rats or mice.

An Enforcement officer will establish who owns the land and require them to clear the rubbish either informally or if necessary by use of a statutory notice. Failure to clear the rubbish can result in us clearing the rubbish and charging the owner and/or the case being referred for prosecution in the Magistrate's Court. The penalty is currently up to £1000.

In some circumstances where the condition of the land is not a public health nuisance but may be considered detrimental to the amenities of the area, for example, an eyesore, the matter may be dealt with by officers from the Planning Enforcement Team.

Rubbish on roadsides, pavements and public land is called fly tipped rubbish.

Filthy or verminous properties

Some people find it difficult to look after themselves and their property and their property may become untidy and dirty. This may not be serious enough for the Clean Neighbourhoods team to become involved - although Adult Services or others may be able to offer support.

In some cases the situation may deteriorate to a level where there are personal hygiene issues, smells, accumulations of waste, possibly infestations of rats, mice, flies and there is a real risk to the health of the occupier and others such as neighbours. If you are aware of someone who is living like this who may require our assistance please contact us using the details at the end of this page.

Once we are aware of a filthy or verminous house we will inspect the property so we can decide what actions to take. Here are some examples of the work we may carry out.

• Remove rubbish.
• Remove or destroy pests.
• Remove sewage contamination.
• Clean and disinfect interior surfaces.
• Remove contaminated wallpaper, carpets, furniture if we cannot clean them.
• Carry out essential repairs to the property.

A legal notice may be served on the occupier requiring the necessary work to be carried out within a specified timescale. Often they are unwilling or unable to do the work, so we can arrange for contractors to carry out the remedial works and recharge the costs to the occupier. We understand that many of the people living in such conditions are vulnerable, and we therefore aim to deal with them sensitively and discretely, offering help and advice, where possible.

Problems with pests

If a building or land is infested with rats or mice and the owner or occupier of the land is unable or unwilling to remove them, we can serve a legal notice to remedy the matter.
This may require pest control treatments or repairs to drains to prevent pest infestation. If the notice is not complied with then the work will be carried out by us and any cost recovered from the person responsible.

Properties open to unauthorised access

If an empty building becomes open to unauthorised access, we have powers to require owners to board up or seal the premises urgently to prevent nuisance to neighbouring properties. If the owner cannot be contacted quickly we can arrange for the work to be done and charge the owner for any costs.

It is important for property owners to regularly check the security of their empty buildings to avoid unnecessary distress to neighbours and the expense of work that we will carry out.

In an emergency and domestic houses become insecure, possibly after a break in, a fire, a storm or vehicular impact, contact us using our out-of-hours number listed at the end of this page. Please only use the out of hours number for real emergencies. Boarding up of empty premises will normally be carried out during daylight hours.

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