Wheelie big fine for resident who ignored warnings to move his bin

A local Harehills resident who ignored warnings to move his wheelie bin after collection day and refused to pay a fine has been taken to court and ordered to repay costs to the council in the first prosecution of its kind in the country.

Mr Ionel Paun of 4 Sandhurst Place, Harehills, appeared at Leeds Magistrates Court last week (Wednesday 6 March) after failing to pay a fixed penalty notice he was issued for continually leaving his bin out after a refuse collection at his property. He was fined £395 (£65 Fine, £30 Surcharge and £300 in costs).

Leeds City Council implemented a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Harehills and Armley in October 2017 as a way to stop bins being left out on streets for unnecessarily long periods. The case is the first example of a prosecution being upheld in relations to bins under the PSPO.

Mr Paun was sent a letter informing him that he would be fined if he continued to leave his bin out after a collection, and a council officer tried to visit the property on a number of occasions, with no success. At this point he was served a fixed penalty notice ordering him to pay £75.

The Public Space Protection Order has already significantly improved these back streets with the majority of residents reacting very positively to the new legislation and continuing to keep areas clear.

Helen Freeman, chief officer for environmental services said:

“This prosecution is the first of its kind in the country as far as we are aware, and we are very pleased to have achieved a successful outcome.

“We want communities to take pride in their local area, and act responsibility for keeping areas clean and tidy for the benefit of the whole neighbourhood. I hope this case sends a strong message to the people of Harehills that the council are committed to solving and improving this issue.”

For more information about the PSPO in Harehills and Armley visit https://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/environmental-health/public-space-protection-orders-consultation