Filthy home sparks anger from neighbours
Is this Gloucester's filthiest house?
Residents in Barton have complained for years about the mountain of rubbish, rats and weeds surrounding 74 Regent Street.
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And now Gloucester City Council is preparing to issue the owner with a Section 215 Compulsory Clean up Order, which could lead to a Compulsory Purchase Order.
Next door neighbour Saleem Parekh has had to put up with rusting bikes, breeze blocks, bags of rubbish, piles of books and even two old cars on his doorstep for the past 17 years.
He said: "There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. I have been here 17 years and it has been like this the whole time.
"It has gone from bad to worse, it's been cleaned before but it has always come back."
Among the debris piled high in the garden is an old Morris Minor, a Citroen Saxo and rusted pieces of metal.
Mr Parekh said: "When we open our door in the morning we are confronted with it and in the summer we have the smell of things rotting."
He said he had approached the owner, but relations had broken down between them.
"We spoke to him to tell him it wasn't on but it soon became clear it was falling on deaf ears," said Mr Parekh.
"We even brought him hot food when he was living in one of the cars during the winter but it is like talking to a brick wall."
For Mr Parekh's three sons it has meant the garden is effectively off limits because of weeds growing through from next door.
He said: "They have never enjoyed going in the garden. This year we have decided to lay down slabs and stones to stop the weeds coming through."
The state of number 74 was a blight on the rest of the street said Mr Parekh.
"We all love living here," he said. "But this is the one big problem in Regent Street."
Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said he was pleased the cleaning order was being used.
He said: "No one should have to live next to something like that. The neighbours have been patient but something needs to be done.
"Having been there myself we have to act decisively."
Richard Graham, the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Gloucester, added: "Regent Street is lovely, there are beautiful houses and some lovely people living there and they have this nightmare in the middle of it.
"It is going to be exciting to see it all cleaned up."
The Citizen was unable to contact the owner Mr Hunniford.
34 Comments
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by Fuzzy Dunlop, Gloucester
Wednesday, July 29 2009, 8:19AM
“I LOVE GLOUCESTER!”
by GRIMBUSTERS UK, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Tuesday, July 28 2009, 9:43AM
“Our company often have to clean up this sort of problem and its often a very sad story of a lonely person with mental heatlh issues, its a situation that shouldn't have got this far in the first place. The original trademarked Grimebuster UK.”
by N, Gloucester
Tuesday, July 28 2009, 6:34AM
“This is an article about an untidy property in the city. Yet some of the spineless amongst you seem to want to use it as an excuse vent your sad little insecurites about 'flattening the area' or Gloucester 'being awful' to live or 'it being full of all colours' as one reader put it. How small and petty your lives are, if it means that much to you come down to Gloucester and tell us in person, I'm sure that will never happen, but if you did, I'm sure you'll find nobody really gives a hoot about your subtly bigoted opnions - Gloucester has love!”
by VERY Proud Resident Of Gloucester, gloucester
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:34PM
“I am a very proud resident of gloucester and few ignorant people have left ignorant messages and i just want to remind them that they r not the ones living next door to Mr Hannoford but only them,so do all us a favour and dont come to Gloucester because people like u r not welcome to OUR CITY!”
by Resident Of Gloucester, Gloucester
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:26PM
“I have lived in Gloucester all my life and "VERY PROUD!".
The people who do not appreciate community and its meaning, they obviously do not deserve to live in this type of loving and honest City.
We all enjoy living around Gloucester. It's not the best but it is home. As long as we keep on trying to keep our streets, homes and communites clean we can make Gloucester to be proud of.
If any of the people don't like Gloucester, we could do without them. Dont disrespect Gloucester, it's our HOME!”
by ms glos, ex tredworth resident
Monday, July 27 2009, 7:49PM
“some1 ought to write to grime busters, to clean it up, be interesting viewing on the tv,”
by anon, glos
Monday, July 27 2009, 7:47PM
“the other anon glos. i am a reader, drove round that area today an what should be in the middle of that area a matress in the road! lovely. maybe the council should do somthin about the people who live round there an maybe barton wouldnt get such a bad name,feel sorry for the decent people who live around there,who actually pay there way.”
by anon, Barton
Monday, July 27 2009, 7:05PM
“Joe K, regarding property on Ryecroft st, council has been informed but have come to the conclusion that it is "building material" stored for a property being built on Stratton Rd. Funny how dozens of washing machine drums and scrap metal can be described a building material!!!!!!!”
by Anon, Glos.
Monday, July 27 2009, 6:52PM
“So 'anon, glos' not much of a reader are you (article/comments) - Mr Parekh states it's been cleared before and he's tried helping the resident (a elderly person with obvious mental health problems), and I doubt very much you've driven past much as that part of Regent Street is no through road. Yes, there are some run down houses but that can be said for many streets across the country and we don't all choose to live in homogeneous bigoted neighbourhoods - some of us actually choose diversity even when we can afford elsewhere!”
by digusting, Chelt
Monday, July 27 2009, 6:44PM
“Mr Hunniford should be sectioned and put into care as he is unable to look after himself.
Where the hell is his family to help him resolve this issue/problem he has. Please don't tell me his kids lived with him in this filth!
Glad the Council has decided to put their foot in after 17 years!! But will it stop it happening again?”