Dumping rubbish near home

annaindundalk

Hi everyone. Just looking for some advice on what plants help purify the air inside or even for the garden. I've just moved into an attached house which I didn't know that next door neighbors gather of what seems like 6 months - 1 years amount of rubbish then eventually get a skip. I couldn't live like that. I have to say the smell is there and I'm convinced I even smell it in the house. I have a 19 month old too so I'm worried for his health of course. Apart from moving house. What can I do? Thanks in advance for any responses.

Id be ringing the council, never mind looking at plants. That would be a serious health hazard not to mention the attraction of rats!!

Tell me how

Absolutely. Get the council on to this for the rodents you have already seen*.

*You might think you haven't seen any yet but you just have forgotten because you have because they are definitely there. Definitely.

annaindundalk

TheTorment wrote: »

Id be ringing the council, never mind looking at plants. That would be a serious health hazard not to mention the attraction of rats!!

Ive thought about that but I'm so scared I'd make them angry.

annaindundalk

Tell me how wrote: »

Absolutely. Get the council on to this for the rodents you have already seen*.

*You might think you haven't seen any yet but you just have forgotten because you have because they are definitely there. Definitely.

Will the neighbors know it was me who called?

km79

Just noticed one of your other posts was about a possible rat in the attic............ring the council

baaba maal

This is actually a matter for your local Environmental Health Officer (EHO) at the first instance- they work for the HSE and enforce public health legislation. Stockpiling of domestic waste is entirely illegal. The council are also entitled to enquire from all householders what arrangements are in place for dealing with domestic waste- either a contract with a waste collection company or receipts from a civic a menity site (large waste/recycling facility). The EHO might pass on that aspect of the case to the council- so do ask them if they will follow with the council on that.Unless you are the only neighbour who might see or smell the waste, the neighbour can't know who complained. Personally, that sort of waste problem would result in me contacting the EHO without delay- regardless of how the neighbour reacts.

annaindundalk

km79 wrote: »

Just noticed one of your other posts was about a possible rat in the attic............ring the council

Yes I'm hoping it was just a bird and I havn't heard anything again. I'm still worried about that too. I'm actually starting to resent it here as I even think there may be mold under the laminate flooring in the living room. I guess I'll tackle one issue at a time and it will all be sorted of coarse.
For the moment the neighbours have a skip at their front door and have filled it to the brim so I can't really say anything but this is the second time they're getting a skip. So thinking they just do it all the time. Maybe it's cheaper for them like that I don't know. I suppose that's why I was wondering what I could plant in the garden in the meantime as I'm in the middle of digging up the garden.

looksee

Without knowing the back story you can't really know what has been happening there. Since there is a skip/skips and it has been filled there doesn't seem there is much point doing anything at the moment as they will just tell the council they are dealing with it. Do you know whether they recently moved in and inherited the mess? Maybe there is/was someone living in the house who has some sort of issues that they did not get rid of rubbish, and now they are trying to deal with it.

If the smell gets worse as the summer comes then certainly report it. You will have a problem with both flies and rats, so you can't give them too much leeway.

Will the area be clear when this lot has gone? See if they get another skip to finish the job, or what the next phase is. You could say innocently something like 'that's a huge job you have to clear there, have you just moved in?'

Meantime any trees or planting can help, though not that much if the job is not finished or the dumpling starts again. Have they shown any signs of putting out bins? In the house chlorophytum (spider plant) is an easy to grow plant that is pretty much impossible to kill and is beneficial for cleaning the air. You are at nothing if the mess is not dealt with though.

It occurs to me, are you renting? Maybe have a word with the landlord, s/he may have some local information,

annaindundalk

No they've been here for a good while. It seems instead of using wheely bins they just let the rubbish gather up then get a skip. They had a skip about 6 months ago now this is another one. They only have a sofa and bed now in their garden which of course doesn't bother me. It strange because they have 3 children so don't know why they would do this.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Anna, if you have any concerns at all contact the litter wardens in Dundalk. I know a couple of them and they are brilliant to deal with. It is an offence to dump, even in your own garden, like that. The warden will pay a visit and assess the situation. If asked, they will not give your name or even suggest there was a complaint - he will say he was in the area and noticed something not quite right, if you want him to. And, if it's not a litter or waste matter the warden will not mind you having raised it anyway.

Plants will not solve any of this. Phone the council.

annaindundalk

That is some really good advice Srameen. Thanks so much.

magicbastarder

just to echo the above - my wife works for a local authority (not louth, but i imagine the same or similar processes apply), and if you were to ring a report in, any action taken would be based on what the council officer could see and determine onsite rather than being based on your testimony. if you rang them, you could certainly talk to them without giving your name or address.
as Srameen mentioned, it's not allowed to store domestic waste in a location visible from a public place.

DBB

annaindundalk wrote: »

That is some really good advice Srameen. Thanks so much.

Just to reiterate srameen's assurances, I've had personal dealings with the Louth litter wardens, they're really good lads. Professional, approachable, and they are well used to responding to reports without divulging that it was reported at all.
Give them a shout... You don't have to put up with such unhygienic behaviour!

magicbastarder

we have next door neighbours who put their rubbish in a public bin beside the bus stop two doors down from us. we've not done anything about it as they know my wife works for the local authority and we reckon they'd blame us even if someone else reports it (which is quite possible, as we know that other neighbours have also spotted this).

annaindundalk

Thanks for your response. Yes it's all just been cleaned up so I'll keep this in mind if it starts gathering up again. Imagine a skip full of rubbish just behind a wall at your back door. Urgh enough to make anyone grumpy.

Tell me how

annaindundalk wrote:

Thanks for your response. Yes it's all just been cleaned up so I'll keep this in mind if it starts gathering up again. Imagine a skip full of rubbish just behind a wall at your back door. Urgh enough to make anyone grumpy.

Cleaned up on a Sunday?

Hi Anna's neighbours!