Owner of abandoned snooker hall fined over waste

The owner was issued with a court order requiring them to remove the waste within 21 days

The owner of an abandoned snooker hall has been fined and issued with a court order for repeatedly leaving waste to build up on the property.

Many attempts were made by Bradford Council’s environmental enforcement team to persuade the landowner to remove the waste from the site on Grange Street in Keighley.

Mohammed Naseem Dost, from Manchester, failed to attend a hearing at Bradford Magistrates' Court on 1 August and was found guilty and fined £2,312.

A council spokesperson said: “This ongoing issue has significantly impacted the local community’s quality of life.”

“Given the long history of non-compliance and the detrimental effects on the community, the matter was taken to Bradford Magistrates' Court, resulting in a successful prosecution.”

Dost was also issued with a court order requiring the removal of the waste within 21 days.

The former snooker hall has been derelict since it was seriously damaged by two fires in January 2014. One of the fires required around 30 people to be evacuated.

Bradford Council had previously issued a Community Protection Warning and a Community Protection Notice under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, but the owner remained non-compliant.

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