Council house sitting empty for a year branded 'absolutely disgusting' by neighbour

A furious neighbour told how the gardens at the property on Buchanan Road, in Parson Cross, Sheffield, had been left to run wild since the last tenant left and were now in an ‘absolutely disgusting’ state – despite numerous complaints from her and her partner.

It was recently revealed that there are more than 20,000 people on Sheffield's housing register - including one person who has been waiting for 61 years.

However, Sheffield Council said less than half of those were actively bidding for available properties.

Julie Trigg, who lives beside the empty house on Buchanan Road, said the woman who used to live there had moved out a year ago and the garden had become badly overgrown.

She said it was now attracting anti-social behaviour, with a rear window at the house recently smashed.

"The gardens are absolutely disgusting. The weeds are nearly taller than my fence and there are clothes, a mattress and a shopping trolley dumped there,” she said.

“It’s embarrassing for me when my family come to visit. God knows what it’s like inside.”

“There are rats everywhere and I have decking in my back garden and wouldn’t be surprised if they’re nesting under there.

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“We’ve called and emailed the council to complain but nothing’s been done about it. It’s not right that this has been sitting empty for so long when there are homeless people out there who need somewhere to live.”

The Star reported in July how the council’s housing repairs service is struggling with a backlog of 6,085 overdue jobs and the average waiting time for a repair was more than three weeks, with the longest waiting being more than two years for a new front door.

Councillor Douglas Johnson, chair of Sheffield Council’s housing policy committee, said of the house on Buchanan Road: “We are aware of the issues with the garden at this property and we would like to reassure residents that we are taking action to resolve this.”