The owners of a Marshfield house have been ordered to pay over £7,000 and handed Remedial Orders after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted them for breaching a Community Protection Notice (CPN) relating to their unmaintained property.
Separate cases were made against the individual joint owners – Alyson Steer, 67, of Somerset and Colin Steer, 69, of Keynsham, with an initial plea hearing on 17 March 2025, where Alyson Steer was found guilty in her absence. Colin Steer pleaded not guilty, and a trial was set for Bristol Magistrates Court on 23 June where he was found guilty.
Alyson Steer was fined £1,250, ordered to pay £2,378.10 in costs and a £500 victim surcharge and was given a Remedial Order to complete works in one month. Colin Steer was fined £625, ordered to pay £2,000 costs and a victim surcharge of £250 and was given a Remedial Order to complete works in two months. The combined total in fines and costs comes to £7,003.10.
The court heard that Alyson and Colin Steer are owners of a detached residential family sized house in Marshfield that has remained empty since 2022. It had been left wholly unmaintained, to the extent it was characterised by gardens that have become extensively and continuously overgrown and untidy. The house is situated on a large corner plot prominently visible on entering the cul-de-sac, with large gardens surrounding all sides of the property. Rubbish and miscellaneous items had been left on the land, along with an abandoned car in poor condition. The property and outbuildings were left unsecured, and the front boundary wall was starting to collapse onto the pavement.
A CPN was served on each of the joint owners, requiring each of them to clear all the overgrown vegetation, tidy the land, remove the rubbish, secure the property and remove or replace to make safe the boundary wall, by 30 June 2024. None of the work, aimed to improve the external appearance, was carried out, and the condition continued to deteriorate. The Notice also provided for ongoing maintenance of the property and the land, to prevent further recurrences.
The owners failed to comply with the Order, and the only work that was undertaken was the removal of the surrounding boundary wall, however the bricks were not disposed of and were left in an untidy pile on site.
Following the Remedial Order issued against Alyson Steer, the overgrown gardens were cut back, however she failed to progress any further works and the garden is again becoming overgrown and untidy.
Prior to pursuing this prosecution, the council’s Empty Homes team had previously written to and contacted the owners several times about their property and repeatedly offered advice and assistance, without any pro active response.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “Empty, unmaintained properties can have a negative effect on the community and we will take action if necessary when this detrimental effect is persistent and unreasonable.
“Empty home owners who are undecided what to do with their property can contact South Gloucestershire Council’s Empty Homes Officer for help and advice. This can include financial loan assistance, help with buying or selling via an interested purchasers list, and a lettings & Management service (SGHomes).”
Residents who are affected by an empty property that is causing problems are encouraged to report it by contacting our Empty Homes Officer on 01454 865565, emailing psechousing@southglos.gov.uk or visiting www.southglos.gov.uk/emptyhomes
Empty property owners are also encouraged to contact the Empty Homes Officer for help and advice (as above).
