Driveway 'piled high' with rubbish sparks fire fears

Residents are concerned over mounds of abandoned rubbish, which could be a fire hazard

Residents living near a house which has had rubbish "piled high on the driveway" for months have called on the council to take action.

They said was not the first time waste had accumulated outside the property in Frampton Road, in Gorseinon, but despite Swansea Council acknowledging the mess, "nothing has changed".

"It is negatively affecting our quality of life and is always on our minds," said one couple, who asked not to be named. "Why is no-one at all accountable for this mess?"

The authority said an enforcement notice had been issued to the owners of the now-vacant property, but they had failed to remove the rubbish and "steps are now being taken by the council".

The couple, who contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service, claimed the council had said it would removed the rubbish over the summer and then, when that did not happen, by the end of October.

They said they had raised the matter with their local councillor, Nicola Matthews, who had offered her support in tackling the issue, adding council officials had been polite and sympathetic.

"Nothing, however, has changed," they told LDRS.

"There it all is still – rubbish piled high on the driveway on one side of the house, and stuffed into the narrow pathway beside the house on the other side."

The pair said they were worried about the potential fire hazard caused by the rubbish, with the detritus outside the property including soft furnishings and abandoned gas canisters.

Residents had been told the rubbish would be cleared this summer

A council spokesman said they were "aware of the waste currently being stored on private land and the distress this is causing for locals in the community".

"Efforts have been made to engage with the homeowner, and we have previously instructed them to remove the waste.

"Enforcement notices have also been issued to the homeowner in relation to the waste.

The spokesperson said it was now the council's intention to remove the waste and recover the cost of doing so from the proprietor.

"Following a lack of compliance with the enforcement notice, steps are now being taken by the council to remove the waste," the spokesman said.

According to an individual who formerly lived there, the detached house is currently vacant, with the property understood to be part of probate - the legal process of dealing with a deceased person's belongings.

The person claimed probate had been ongoing for nearly a year, and that when it was concluded, the abandoned rubbish would immediately be removed and the house sold.