Skip on Council grass outside my house for 3 weeks - what can I do?

[Kosenrufugirl]

All advice and opinion would be much appreciated.

We live in a Close with what used to be a nice lawn outside.

The neighbour opposite started a loft converversion about 3 weeks ago. The scaffolding went up and a huge skip was deposited on the Council-run lawn.

There have been no activity since except that company's delivery van drove accross the grass after rain and caused severe damage to the lawn. The van tracks are up to 20 cm (8 inches) deep in places.

The company made no effort to fix the damage. I don't know if they realise those tracks are a trip hazard or whether they care.

I am also worried that by the time the loft conversion is complete the grass underneath the skip will be completely destroyed.

The owner of the house moved out for the duration of the works it seems. The works seems to have stopped completely so there is no one to ask.

I want to contact the Council and ask them to do something about the van's damage to the grass. Also, how common is to have a skip sitting on the grarss for weeks on end? Who will be responsible for the damage to the grass?

What do I need to say to the Council and do I have a realistic prospect of anything being done about it?

Many thanks in advance. All advice and opinion would be much appreciated.

Is the lawn your front garden? Or does it belong to the property having the work done? Can't quite tell from your post

You say council run, so is it like a grassy area not attached to either property?

Well, assuming that the homeowner has permission to put the skip there, you can’t do anything. The grass will recover. You could always ask the council if they gave permission. Where I live, people have to ask permission to put a skip on the road, and pay for it, as we are in terraced housing.

Whoever hired the skip will have to prove they've had permission to put it wherever it is, if not on their land.

The grass will grow back.

All skips on a public road in England and Wales have to be licensed and you need permission from the landowner to put them on private land. If they’ve got the council’s permission there’s not much you can do but I’d check they definitely have.

You pay for a skip based on the time you have it so I’d guess your neighbour is having an issue with their loft conversion if it’s sitting there for weeks and there’s no builders around to fill it. Could you contact them via phone to see if they’re aware it’s still there and when they expect it to move?

Report it to the council ASAP. It's unlikely to be permitted and is a hazard to children.

Do you have Fix My Street in your area? You can report it on there if so. The council will then check that it's appropriately licensed and take action if not.

Another option would be to contact your local councillor - their contact details will be on the local council website. Ask them to point you in the right direction

Many excellent ideas, I will pursue them all, many thanks to everyone who replied. The lawn is a Council-run area between the houses

A Skip Permit lasts 28 days (according to my searches - different boroughs might vary) so if it's been there 3 weeks then they'll need to renew soon .(Or risk removal and a £1000 fine)

The grass will grow back and hopefully they'll make good the damage .
I'm surprised everyone has piled it full of their rubbish TBH , that's what usually happens here !

You don't need to do anything.
The grass will grow back very easily.

Clearly they need to dispose of things if the house is being renovated.

Thank you for your reply. I am more concerned about the van's tracks to be honest. They are 20 cm (8 inches deep) in places. Clearly a trip hazard for an unsuspecting person or a child at play. Surely the skip can't just sit and sit there for weeks on end. The work hasn't started since scaffolding went up 3 weeks ago.

I would try the local councillor first. I get it OP! Our neighbours across have done renovations for what seems like forever, their workmen and skip lorries have churned up all the verges when the weather was wet and the ground boggy. It is now a total eyesore. They don’t give a shit.

I think you are being a bit OTT to be worrying about tracks in the grass being a trip hazard. There is a lot of uneven ground across the world, I'm sure people will be just fine. The grass will be fine longer term and if it's council owned there will be a permit that they have themselves approved. Skip companies are not in the business of ruining themselves by placing skips without the correct paperwork in place.

Honestly sounds like they haven't got permission. Verges definitely count as an area you need to pay for a skip licence for in my area, and I assume it's the same everywhere. Generally skip licences have to be displayed at the site a skip is located, so you could check for that.

Bet the council will be round like a shot if you report it because there is lost revenue for them involved.

Thank you for your reply. However I disagree with you on the point of deep tracks up to 20 cm (8 inches) not being a trip hazard. Especially in a place you wouldn't expect them. My son ended up on crutches for 5 weeks last summer and he is normally fit and well.This was followed by hundreds of pounds spent on private physio as the NHS waiting list was too long

Lots of excellent ideas, thank everyone who replied

I'm astonished it's still empty tbh. Most skips left in public areas tend to get filled up and picked through quite quickly by the local populace. If you have anything that needs disposing of, now's your chance!

Posters who keep saying the grass will grow back, well yes it does, but the deep ruts will remain. I’m sure that’s what’s concerning you OP?

Did you go out and measure the tracks? Seems a very precise detail you keep repeating.

Yes I did measure the tracks. I want them filled one way or another- either by the Council or the person with the van (or his company). They are so deep, they will probably still be there years from now. I don't want anyone to trip and twist their ankle in the dark (myself included)

Yes I am concerned about the ruts, I don't think they will disappear on their own even if the grass grows. It will be a trip hazard until they are filled in my opinion. I am also worried the heavy skip will sink into the ground by the time the builders are done. It's been raining non stop

As you are so community minded, and so concerned about all your neighbours walking on this piece of grass in the dark, why not pop your wellies on and go and push this really soft mud back into the ruts, to prevent this trip hazard ?

Not as much hand-wringing to be done if she does that...

I am also worried the heavy skip will sink into the ground by the time the builders are done.

If it sinks far enough and it keeps raining you could end up with a new outdoor swimming pool

This is 10 meters of tracks, 20 meters altogether. I would rather the Council did it. Or better still, made the company which caused the damage sort out the mess they created. I do pay my Council tax on time