Owners ordered to clear rubbish

RUBBISH dumped near a new development on Shaw Road, Oldham

OLDHAM Council has ordered owners to clear rubbish dumped on land surrounding a new flats development.

Officers served an abatement notice on January 18 ordering the tidy-up of the area on Shaw Lane next to the former offices which are currently being converted into 26 apartments.

Described as "a very large accumulation of building waste, furniture, wood, household waste and other loose waste likely to harbour vermin", owners are required to remove it within a seven-day time frame which runs out today.

Bounced

A spokesman for Baam Properties, which owns the land, said: "We paid someone to remove the rubbish before Christmas but unfortunately the cheques they issued to pay the skip hire company bounced and the rubbish was put back. In the meantime we have had people fly tipping at the site.

"We fully intend to get it cleared. The flats are almost complete so there's no way we'd leave the rubbish there."

An Oldham Council spokesperson said: "We do not remove waste from private land as it is the land owner's responsibility but we will investigate and prosecute those responsible."