Residents in Brecon are “fuming” as a rubbish pile is now over two metres tall despite their complaints two months ago.
The pile of rubbish, which first started to accumalate in October, is outside a row of Powys County Council-owned houses opposite Mount Street Junior School.
Shirley Ann Miles, 57, who has lived on Mount Street for two and a half years, is one of the residents to have officially complained to Powys council.
She said: “I think it’s a safety risk - it’s absolutely disgusting.
“I complained two weeks after they (the tenant) started dumping the rubbish out there and I was assured it would have started moving by now, but nothing’s happened and now it’s even worse.
“I thought things might get moving when I saw their family going in and out, but instead of getting rid of stuff, it just keeps piling up higher – it’s almost as high at the front bedroom window.
“It is stinking, they’ve not been able to get to their bins in about nine weeks.”
Made up of various items including old mattresses, disregarded carpet, old toys, old furniture, scrunched up paper, cardboard and some general waste, the smelly rubbish looms over the pavement used by parents and children to access the school as well as overshadowing the neighbours’ properties on both sides.
The rubbish also spreads into the back garden, which is visible from a shared access path with the neighbours, as full black bin bags are stacked high against the fence along with scattered old dog faeces and cigarette butts on the ground.
“The council said they’re going to pay for it to be removed and then they’ll recover the cost from the tenant.”
Ms Miles said: “I think if they (the tenant) had any intention of paying for removal, they’d have done it. It’s when you see things like old people’s home poentially closing down and the youth clubs closing down, and then you see things like this with people wasting taxpayers money – it’s outrageous, I’m absolutely fuming.
“It’s made my blood boil. It’s time someone stood up and said you’ve got a hard job, you’ve had your expenses cut but these people need to toe the line. I’m sick of being quiet about it.”
Ms Miles and other residents have also contacted Environmental Health and the local county councillor Sarah Lewis.
Ms Miles, who lives with her two dogs, said: “I heard my neighbour shouting the other night because something had fallen off and they were trying to put it back on.
“The neighbour on the other side has a two-year-old child and we’re worried it could fall off and hit them because it’s raised up from where their front door is.”
Ms Miles said she had to move an old side cabinet after she’d walked into it while taking her dogs for an evening walk.
She said: “I was taking my dogs for a walk and the dogs were pulling and I walked out into it. That happened while it was dark on the Friday evening and I moved it on the Saturday – it was in the middle of the path and I moved it back to being outside their front door.”
It is understood the property was flooded which is why it has been emptied, however the cause and the severity of the flood is unknown.
A spokesman for Powys County Council, said: “We are aware that there is a build-up of rubbish at the front and back of this property. Housing officers have telephoned the tenant on a number of occasions and formally written to them asking them to remove the items as soon as possible.
“Unfortunately, the items have not been removed despite the tenant promising housing officers that they would remove them.
“Housing officers have now arranged for the items at the front of the property to be removed and that should take place later this week. The tenant will be re-charged the cost of removing the items for disposal.
“Housing officers have informed the tenant that the items from the front of the property will be removed and have again asked the tenant to dispose of items at the back of the property appropriately.
“Environmental Protection officers are also aware of this issue and are currently investigating complaints made about waste at the rear of the property.”