Cars stored in garden

A Betws man who stored cars in his garden after being told to remove them has been prosecuted by Carmarthenshire County Council.

David Wayne Reed appeared at Llanelli Magistrates Court last week and admitted an offence of failing to comply with an enforcement notice to tidy it up. Mr Reed was convicted after trial.

The court heard that a complaint was initially made about Mr Reed to the authority in February 2016 regarding the untidy state of the house and garden area of his home in Treforest, Betws.

Upon investigation, this complaint was upheld and subsequently a Notice was served upon Mr Reed requiring the land to be tidied up, in particular to remove the numerous cars from the front garden. This was served in May 2016.

Mr Reed said in evidence that his cars were being damaged on a daily basis and hundreds of items had been thrown into the garden the last couple of months. He maintained that he had attempted to move two cars to a ‘lock-up’, but that they had been damaged there.

He said he had had planning permission to keep cars in the garden but had lost it. He had failed to comply with the notice due to family illness.

Mr Reed had never had planning permission to store cars on his property as planning permission is not required, the notice was served as it affects the visual amenity of the area.

Mr Reed was fined £60 fine, and ordered to pay £1,205 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for planning enforcement Cllr Philip Hughes said: “The council enforces planning rules in the interests of the community. We will investigate all breaches of planning control and we will prosecute when notices are not complied with.”