Neighbour fed up with messy yard

A Whanganui East property owner must have resource consent to store six or seven vehicles in their yards. Photo/Stuart Munro

A Whanganui East woman is concerned about her neighbour's cluttered property being a safety hazard.

While Whanganui District Council environmental health officers say the property is not hazard, the number of cars parked at the address goes against the District Plan.

The Tanguru St property, which is unoccupied, has overgrown grass, random material piled up in the back yard, about six or seven vehicles parked on the lawns, and a tree growing through a fence.

A nearby resident told the Chronicle she was "very concerned" the clutter could be a health and safety hazard. She contacted council to have the area looked at.

A council spokeswoman said "long grass, domestic rubbish, and general upkeep of a property are beyond the jurisdiction of the RMA [Resource Management Act]."

While the environmental health officers found the site was not hazardous from a health perspective, they did determine the property owner needed consent to store all the vehicles there.

Resource consent planners visited on August 9 for an inspection.

"As a result of the site inspection it was determined that the property was being used to store vehicles and other miscellaneous material. The storage of the vehicles and materials is considered a manufacturing activity, in accordance with the District Plan, and would require resource consent in the Residential Zone.

"A letter has been sent to the property owner informing them that the continued storage of material on site will require resource consent. Without a resource consent, the owner could face enforcement action in accordance with the provisions of the Resource Management Act."