‘Never-ending battle’ against untidy gardens in Redbridge sees 1,286 written warnings issued

Almost 1,300 written warnings have been given to owners of untidy front gardens in Redbridge in what a council officer described as a “never-ending battle” to clean up the borough.

The state of people’s gardens continued to be a hot topic at a meeting of the council’s health, social care and civic pride service committee on Tuesday night.

Last month the Recorder reported on a council scheme to crack down on residents with messy front gardens.

At the meeting at Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford, it was revealed 1,286 letters had been issued to residents since October, warning them to clean their front gardens up or risk facing fines.

One officer described tackling untidy garden spaces as “a never-ending battle” but insisted the council was making progress.

Cllr Joyce Ellen Ryan (Fairlop, Cons) said: “I’m ashamed of what our borough is becoming. We are getting reports of so many people who just don’t care about their environment and it’s such a shame.

“It’s so sad that certain areas in the north are getting this bad, and it’s such a shame that people aren’t respecting their environment despite all the hard work of the borough’s officers.”

Committee chairman and Mayor-elect, Cllr Gurdial Bhamra (Clayhall, Lab) promised untidy gardens were something he would tackle when he takes up office.

Read the full report in tomorrow’s Ilford Recorder.