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Neighbour’s eyesore and litter into small stream

a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
in Problem solving
Long story, sorry...
new plot, one side of garden is bordered by a steep gully, with a small stream running through it (actually half the distance the water is in an underground pipe, then it comes out of the pipe and is above ground).  It’s wooded, lots of ferns, snowdrops etc. Lovely feature.
I have 3 neighbours on the other side of the gully. One appears to not use it at all.
2nd uses it for throwing garden prunings, grass cuttings etc. It’s a big garden and these are quite substantial. 
3rd has a load of garden stuff at the top of the gully, which is a mess, and it clearly regularly falls in. This is plastics, polystyrene, dead plants in pots etc etc.
this annoys me in 2 respects, firstly it’s an eyesore for me. Secondly it’s littering and reasonable to assume whatever is chucked or falls down there ends up in the stream, which ends up in the river. 
I have had 2 major litter pickups in the gully (on my side, and in the bottom of it), and wondered if they would notice and take more care.  I don’t think they have, as I needed a second litter pickup. 
I went round to say hello as a new neighbour, but didn’t mention it as we didn’t hit it off, though they were polite enough. They were smart people with a tidy house and garden. This is out of sight, out of mind. 
Just your thoughts please. I’m disinclined to fall out with a new neighbour, but well...it’s annoying.
  

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    My husband had a row last week in the supermarket.  The man in front of him took some papers out of a trolley, and flung them on the floor. He was 3ft from a bin. Hubby followed him in and called him a slob in a very loud voice.  The people living around have had three big litterpicks recently.   Some people are just slobs. If I was feeling like it, collect up the plastic and dump it on his tidy lawn.  I have been known to tap on a car window and throw their rubbish back at them, when folk chuck rubbish out of a car.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Chucking stuff into a drainage gulley may cause a possible flooding problem in heavy rain etc. as well as causing pollution. 

    Can you find out who is responsible for maintaining the gulley and ensuring the drainage is free of obstruction. A local Drainage Board or River Authority maybe?  I think @wild edges knows about that sort of thing. I’ll give him a nudge. 

    When we had a stream at the end of our garden it was managed by the local river authority who sent a man to cut down and remove rushes, undergrowth, fallen branches etc each autumn so that water would run freely.  A chap downstream who placed a log across it to act as a footbridge was made to remove it. 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Take  photos and keep a record?

    A lot of that kind of behaviour goes on where we live. Some people have no morals or shame.
    Sometimes the borough council clears areas.
    I make the assumption if they find who has been fly tipping the people responsible get fined as there are sometimes reports in the local media etc.

    OOps got called away and much of my post is redundant :D

    My other half agrees with me if nothing is done go chuck it back over their fence.
    Be sure it is theirs though.
    A waste of your time but bag it up and give it back to them with apology say sorry,  but did they know they will get fined so you are saving them getting into trouble. o:)

    Do you really worry about being friendly. I would not bother wasting time or worrying if that is how they want to behave.
    The people in the property next door to us behave in a similar manner to your post. They just don't care. Be civil if you need or have to be. Otherwise ignore them.

    It is a little unpleasant not getting along. I used to find it sad but I no longer worry and totally ignore them. Some people are not worth your time, effort or kindness.

  • a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
    Thanks guys. I do have a photo taken in October Ruby, but it’s a good idea, I’ll take another. 
    Hmm yeah I don’t really want to fall out. It would be ideal if someone else could take it up for me. 
    For me it’s a lovely and wild feature, for them it’s a convenient dumping ground. They have a manicured garden, but don’t consider this gully or their stack of garden stuff on top part of it. 
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    I agree with your inclination to keep things civil with your neighbours. Is the deposited detritus visible to others besides you and the people opposite? If so, it makes complaining easier because the complainant would not obviously be you.

     In the first instance I would contact your local councillor to explain your concerns and ask if there is anything the local government or parish council could do but without drawing attention to you.

    Secondly I would investigate the ‘Fix my Street’ website. If called out more than once to clear waste matter the authorities might investigate the cause rather than having to deal with the effects.

    A third approach might be to visit the neighbouring houses asking if they want to be involved in a clean up campaign with a view to planting the gulley banks to be a wildlife reserve. Even if they’re not interested they would have to be very mean spirited to jeopardise what you are trying to achieve.
    Rutland, England
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Something no-one else has mentioned is 'riparian rights'.  If the gulley is seen to be a watercourse, and each bank (ripa in Latin) is owned by a different person, each 'riparian owner' owns from his property to the middle of the stream - not a big thing for you but can be important where rivers and fishing rights etc. are concerned.  There is therefore a legal aspect to what you're experiencing and any pollution or other damage that manifests itself further downstream will be the joint responsibility of anyone bordering it at the point where the cause originates.  When that proverbial product hits the fan, you may have difficulty establishing your innocence, especially if the neighbours get wind of the problem before you and have a quick clean up?  I'd act soon?
  • a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
    Hi Nick, yes I understand that’s exactly the situation, we own to the middle of the stream. 
    I have had 2 tidy ups and I can take pics of what I took out of the gully as it’s still onsite (tyres, carpet etc). 
    When you say act soon, you mean the council / whoever looks after the river? 
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    a1154  Yes, with apologies to Philippa I'd possibly contact the Citizens Advice Bureau (if open in these troubled times) as a referral from them can have weight to it.  If that's not possible, a three pronged letter to each of your neighbours, mentioning that you 'have taken advice and been advised of the legal responsibilities' requesting that they jointly bring about an improvement to what could be a difficult situation, I imagine none of them will wish to be seen as the defaulter if things are left as they are.  A closing date for replies will give you the justification you need to refer matters elsewhere?
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    I wonder about innocently offering to both neighbours to take their garden waste for your compost heap, which could naturally lead to a conversation about waste in the garden, or/and you could have your own planting project for your side of the stream and ask them both if they'd like some bulbs/plants/seeds for their side as you're quite excited about the project. Longer term, as restrictions ease, invite them for cream tea in the garden and sit them facing the stream...
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