Woman fined for failing to remove piles of waste from gardens of Bradford house

Chris Young
·2-min read
One of the waste piles at the Southmere Road property <i>(Image: Bradford Council)</i>
One of the waste piles at the Southmere Road property (Image: Bradford Council)

A WOMAN has been ordered to pay almost £1,000 for failing to clear mounds of waste from the front and back gardens of a house she owned.

Despite repeated requests to clear the waste from the property on Southmere Road as soon as possible, Hafeeza Akhtar Munir repeatedly asked for more time, and the case dragged on for several years.

On Thursday, Munir appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a community protection notice.

The court was told that at one point waste in the front garden had been set on fire, with firefighters scrambled to the street to stop it from spreading to neighbouring properties.

Bradford Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team were first alerted of the waste piles in 2021, and contacted Munir, aged 46, of Rand Place, asking her to remove it.

Officers made repeated visits to the property over several months, but each time found the waste piles to still be there.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: One of the piles of waste to the side of the property
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: One of the piles of waste to the side of the property

One of the piles of waste to the side of the property (Image: Bradford Council)

A community protection notice was issued – ordering the removal of the waste, but was not complied with.

Last June, another notice was served, but again Munir repeatedly refused to clear the site, and the waste was set on fire, with the blaze reportedly becoming “out of control.”

On another occasion, the waste led to an infestation of rats.

Representing herself, Munir said she had bought the vacant property and had been working on it with the intention of selling it.

She said she “hardly ever” goes to the house, and at one point it had been occupied by squatters who “got aggressive” when they were confronted.

She added: “I’m so sorry for all of this.”

Munir was fined £126, ordered to pay a £50 surcharge and £744 costs to Bradford Council.

Magistrates warned her that despite the fine, the order was still in place.

If she does not remove the waste soon she will likely be prosecuted again.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The waste at this property has had a significant negative impact on neighbouring residents and the local community, especially given the property's close proximity to a local primary school. We hope this prosecution serves as a warning to others.”

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