Unruly bush man vows to fight £2K garden fine
BUSHES as tall as a house in Adrian Woodyatt's garden have landed him a £2,600 court bill - a decision he has slammed as 'over the top'.
Neighbours in Nine Elms Road, Longlevens, claim they are plagued by rats and dead birds from the overgrown 'jungle'.
Woodyatt was ordered to hand over £2,670.50 by Gloucester Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
But there was no court order to get him to clean up the garden, providing little comfort to beleaguered neighbours.
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He failed to turn up at the hearing but at his home this week, the 44-year-old said: "I am angry and disappointed at these findings. It is a lot of money.
"I wasn't even aware of the situation and didn't know I was meant to be in court.
"A lot of my time has been taken up working and looking after my elderly mother who is not well at the moment.
"The findings are totally over the top and I will be appealing the decision."
Woodyatt has 28 days to pay up.
Next door neighbour Amy Galbraith looks out onto 15ft tall bushes and said she has been unable to sell her home. She said: "He has blighted my house ever since we moved in.
"The back garden is so tall it's dark inside our house. It's become a rat-infested jungle and we've even seen dead birds.
"My dad even offered to buy the house off him but he said no. It's ridiculous."
One 80-year-old neighbour said he even had to clamber onto the asbestos-ridden roof of his garden shed to fend off the weeds.
He said: "It is not nice having to deal with this daily. Your garden should not start to affect other people."
Woodyatt does not live at the property, which he has owned for six years.
Elaine Bell, prosecuting for Gloucester City Council, told how the council had pleaded with him since October 2011 for action - but their requests fell on deaf ears.
In June, council inspectors found the garden had got worse and they decided to take him to court.
Sentencing Woodyatt, Judge Joti Boparai said: "It is quite clear that the notices were served properly. He was given further opportunity and nothing has been heard of him.
"The gardens are probably much worse by now, I find the matter proved."
Andy Birchley, senior planning compliance officer, said later: "We hope that Mr Woodyatt will now work with us to resolve the matter."
Comments
by easterbunny1
Saturday, October 13 2012, 1:47PM
“Angry Gelvum I wonder if you'd be so sympathetic if this was your neighbor. These are not just slightly unruly over grown shrubs, the majority are thorny brambles which frequently overflow into the pathway outside the house. My daughter has received a couple of nasty scratches from them simply from walking past them. An untidy garden is a totally different matter to this jungle of weeds and brambles.
He has had ample opportunity to sort this. Maybe he is caring for an ill relative but I cared for my dad through his last days and still maintained my property to an acceptable standard.
His lack of consideration isn't just unsightly its affecting the sale of other properties in the area, poses a danger to pedestrians. Lets not even think about the health hazard the rats pose. And to the person who comments that rats only stay where there is food, yes but food doesn't have to be human wastage - rats live in the country side, on river banks, in woods/forest without the need for human food.
I for one think the fine is justified and I'm only saddened that he hasn't been forced to sort it out.”
by Floodmeadow
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:34PM
“Have to pay 2K within month that you chop chop chop all bushes and trees every weekends easily”
by LordGagas
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:09PM
“looks like good place for wildlife to me.”
by LordGagas
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:06PM
“the council are worried about rats? then why have they started to charge to get rid of them? to help pay for their nice offices to have a makover?”
by LordGagas
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:03PM
“i like an unruly bush, much better than a shaved one.... :-)”
by TimMessanger
Saturday, October 13 2012, 10:05AM
“Brazilians all round?”
by angry_glevum
Saturday, October 13 2012, 9:35AM
“I think it's the neighbors that have the problem/s. If this gentleman wants to have lovely trees and bushes in his garden why shouldn't he? Look at the garden - it looks lovely and green, like a wildlife haven and is good for the environment. Look at the other gardens - empty and probably concreted over and full of boring decking (that's probably where the rats are living - underneath the rotting decking).
Fancy reporting your neighbor for something like this? The poor bloke's mother is really ill and now he's received a massive fine from the council. Talk about love thy neighbor. Sounds like a case of bullying to me. An easy target and imagine the pressure he is under right now?
These narrow/empty minded neighbors might think they have done the right thing here, but if they woke up and really thought about it they should feel utterly ashamed with themselves and the council should for pandering to such nonsense.”
by abbeydale1947
Friday, October 12 2012, 7:13PM
“A very lazy gentleman.......Clean up .........and pay up.”
by Dr_Hfrrrrr
Friday, October 12 2012, 6:45PM
“Unruly Bush Man is the worse superhero name ever.”
by FreeRadical1
Friday, October 12 2012, 5:42PM
“If the city council is so bothered about overgrown vegetation and rats, they might like to start by doing something about the overgrown vegetation and rats at Saintbridge Pond, and about the people who feed the birds and rats there.”