Where abandoned vehicles are concerned, the council have a section dealing with this. Any referral must be on the basis that the vehicle is definitely abandoned and also is on the public roadway. Telephone:  020 8726 7100 or 020 8407 6839*.

*This number can also be used for reporting untaxed vehicles. This can also be done direct to the DVLA on 0800 325202.

Residents should be encouraged to take up bonfire issues, firstly with the person whose bonfire it is, and secondly with the council on the contact numbers below, and thirdly with one of their local councillors, only involving HADRA if they are unable to make progress.

Bonfires themselves are NOT illegal. However, it is an offence at law to cause a nuisance from a bonfire and the council is able to prosecute persistent offenders who can be fined up to £5,000.

The Council prefers that residents recycle waste and the Purley Oaks recycling centre is close to the HADRA area.

Once the Council has introduced a green waste collection borough wide, consideration will then be given to imposing a ban on bonfires.

Meantime, the Council has published its Air Quality Action Plan (November 2006) which raises the issue of bonfires. This will be open to public consultation and is on going.

The Council will investigate cases where bonfires are a nuisance – 0208 760 5483 preferably enabling officers to attend when the bonfire is in progress. Outside working hours 0208 7267 6000 but it is unclear how immediate any response may be.

Leads, collars and muzzles

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is a criminal offence for a dog to be on a designated road (ie. a public road) without being held on a lead. There are exceptions for dogs proved to be kept for driving or tending sheep or cattle in the course of a trade or business; and dogs proved to have been at the material time in use under proper control for sporting purposes.

The Control of Dogs Order 1992 requires every dog (subject to a few exceptions) while on a public highway or in a public place to wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on it or a plate or badge attached to it. The exceptions include:

• packs of hounds;
• dogs used for sporting purposes;
• dogs being used for the capture or destruction of vermin;
• dogs being used for the driving or tending of cattle or sheep;
• dogs being used on official duties by a member of the Armed Forces or Customs and Excise or a police force;
• dogs being used in emergency rescue work, and;
• dogs registered with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

If you do not comply with the legal requirements for a collar, you can be prosecuted and fined under the Animal Health Act 1981. Furthermore, if your dog does not have a collar on a highway or in a public place, it can be treated as a stray dog and seized by the Local Authority.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 it is a criminal offence to allow a pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa or any dog designated by the Secretary of State as being a dog bred for fighting, to be in a public place without being muzzled and kept on a lead by someone who is 16 years old or above. Where an offence is committed the offender may be imprisoned and/or fined. The Court may also order the destruction of the dog and may order the offender to be disqualified from having custody of a dog, for such period as the Court thinks fit.

A dog owner has a responsibility to ensure that the dog is well behaved wherever it is, having been a dog owner for many years the key word is that the owner is responsible for the animal. But owners are not always responsible people and if this is the case they need to be taken to task by the authorities.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, fly-tipping is defined as the ‘illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it’.

Fly-tipping should be reported to the Council. Residents can:

• call Croydon’s environmental team on 020 8726 6200 (option 1 for fly-tipping)
• use the Don’t Mess with Croydon app
• use the online form on the Council website.

Please do not remove any part of a fly-tip: leave this to the Council as there may be hazardous substances or evidence that points to the perpetrator.

Dumping waste illegally is a serious criminal offence (Environmental Protection Act 1990); it carries a fine of up to £50,000 (unlimited if the case goes to the Crown Court) and perpetrators could also face a prison sentence of up to 5 years.

As well as reporting fly-tipping, residents are encouraged to use only licensed waste carriers. Ignorance is not an excuse – you could be held responsible and face prosecution for fly-tipping if you haven’t checked that the company or person who removes rubbish from your premises has a licence to carry waste.

Residents are reminded that dumping garden waste on public or private land (such as Coulsdon Manor Golf Course) also constitutes fly-tipping.

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Please click the links below to be taken to the websites of other nearby residents’ associations.

Kenley & District Residents Association (Kendra)

East Coulsdon Residents’ Association (ECRA)

Coulsdon West Residents’ Association (CWRA)

Old Coulsdon Residents’ Association (OCRA)

These issues should be dealt wih by the resident and the council were appropriate.

With matters of appearance to gardens it is always worth having a little chat with the neighbour before taking any action, as this could resolve the situation before involving any outside bodies.

If greenery from a private dwelling is overgrown and encroaching onto a footpath to the extent of reducing the width of the pathway or forcing pedestrians off the pathway into the road, the Council should be notified.

The Council will then instruct a designated Streetscene Officer to view the situation. If after inspection it is felt action needs to be taken, a letter will be issued and if no action is taken to remedy the situation, the Council could have the greenery cut and then bill the occupant.

If the overgrown area is a Council responsibility, the Parks and Woodland Dept. should be contacted.

On a public roadway residents have no proprietary rights to the kerbside immediately outside their properties, except to the right of access and egress.

If encroachment takes place to the extent that access is impossible, the matter should be reported to the council’s Parking Enforcement Officer.  It is important that the officer can see the incident for himself.

if the encroachment is partial and access can still be achieved, it is suggested that full details should be taken and that a polite notice be placed on the offending vehicle, if this does not have the desired effect, then contact the Parking Enforcement Officer.

A resident may try to assert parking rights by placing cones to prevent others parking. Whilst this may prove to be effective for a period, it would appear to be indefensible if challenged.

Noise is unwanted sound, too loud, duration too long or without warning. Noise Nuisance is used in law which affects the enjoyment of your home.

Noise nuisance is covered by Part lll of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

This law empowers local authorities to deal with noise from fixed premises.

Before action is taken the officers have to be sure that the noise constitutes a statutory nuisance. This means that the noise has to be proved to be prejudicial to health and/or is causing an unreasonable persistent disturbance to your lifestyle.

When is noise a statutory nuisance? The noise can be too loud, too intrusive wrong time. Barking Dogs; loud music; home and car alarms; DIY and motor repairs; repetitive bass beats. Your response to the noise must be wholly reasonable.

Reporting a Noise Nuisance

The council in the summer months (from May until the end of September) have a Noisy Party Patrol consisting of an environmental health officer supported by police which operates on a Saturday night keeping an ear out for loud parties and responding to complaints about excessive noise between 11pm and 3am. To contact the council, the phone number is 020 8686 4433, or to speak to an environmental health officer, ring the council Monday – Friday between 9am and 5pm on 020 8760 5483.

In general terms enforcement action can be taken with a legal notice being served and failure to comply can result in a fine of up to £5,000.

All residents need to be conscious of the effects of noise, including barbeques.

The Council does not have any jurisdiction for rail, traffic or aircraft noise.

Noise Nuisance concerning roads can be a matter for the Police. This can relate in particular to motor cycles, low powered scooters with noisy exhausts, and also cheap mini scooters and the like which are not registered for road use.

In many cases these are unfortunately as per the manufacturers’ specification which means that the noise created by them cannot be classified as due to the machines being unroadworthy. However, if there is consistent driving up and down a particular section of road, this could become a nuisance (as well as dangerous driving if going too fast round corners or doing wheelies), but it has to be monitored and the culprits caught in the act.

Similar monitoring would be necessary with these mini scooters but as these are not registered for road use, if they are used on public roads then the Police have more opportunity to act.

The Kenley Ward Safer Neighbourhood team based at Kenley Police Station is the first contact point between 10.00 am and 10.00pm weekdays.

The central point of reference for general road safety matters is Croydon Council and their Road Safety Manager. Some of the main traffic routes through Croydon are the responsibility of the London mayor’s office through Traffic for London (TfL), not Croydon Council.

However, in the first instance all enquiries or protests should be directed to the Croydon Road Safety Manager, who will, if necessary, arrange for transmission to TfL.

Serious concerns about matters such as speeding, dangerous driving or accidents etc. may be reported direct to Croydon Police (020 8667 1212); if possible with details of vehicle registration number and or any distinctive features such as vehicle model, colour or unique lettering on it.

CROYDON COUNCIL ROAD SAFETY MANAGER:   Tel/Typetalk: 020 8760 5774 OR 5484

CROYDON POLICE STATION – Tel: 020 8667 1212.

1. Never let anyone into your home unless you are sure of their credentials.
2. Always ask for business cards or business address and telephone number (not mobile).
3. If they say there is an urgent problem with your roof, drive, tree’s and boundary fences always get a reliable third party to check the problem before you part with any money.
4. Only agree to pay for the work after completion.
5. Be very wary of anyone offering to provide a product or services for cash only.
6. Avoid anyone who says they are only in the area for a short while and can do a special deal.
7. Croydon Trading Standards operate a ‘Check a Trade’ an approved trader scheme.
8. For details of vetted local traders call 0845 408 4866 or visit www.checkatrade.com

The Guidelines above have been formulated from advice by Sergeant Paul Potter of the Kenley Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

The Police now have a website where you can see the crime figures in your area by entering a post code, town, village or street.

Untidy or overgrown front gardens are of no  concern to the council, provided they do not affect the road or pavement or that vermin are not present.

The recommended approach is to speak to the homeowner and hope that a polite approach can remedy the situation.

In the event that vermin or rodents are present, the council’s environmental department should be contacted. They will inspect and report to the homeowner as to what action should be taken it would be wise to contact the homeowner before the council is approached.

A rat or mice infestation should  also be reported to the council – main switchboard no. 020 8726 6000.

Builders’ material on roadway/pavement

The Strict position regarding materials on the roadway is that a licence should first be obtained, at a cost, and once the work has been completed and the debris removed, the builder should then notify the Council, who will come and inspect the scene.

If all is in order and no damage has taken place the builder’s deposit (payable at the time of applying for the licence) will be returned to him.

In fact a practical approach is normally followed, and if a licence is not applied for and the materials are disposed of quickly, then all is well.

If therefore, a situation gives rise to complaint the sensible course would appear to be to raise the matter with the householder – who is the responsible person so far as the council is concerned – and if there is no remedy within a reasonable time the matter should be raised with the Street Enforcement Officer.

As regards materials deposited on the pavement, space must be left for pedestrians. if this is not the case, and representations to the workmen or the householder are ignored, then reference to the street enforcement officer would be the next step. However, obviously a reasonable attitude is essential.

Residents of the Hartley & District area are asked to pay an annual subscription of £5. This supports the voluntary efforts of the committee members, funds the printing of the bi-annual newsletter and covers other administrative expenses.

How to Pay

The easiest way to pay your subscription is to set up an annual standing order. We moved our bank account in 2020, so please note the new details:

Account name  : HADRA

Sort Code     : 23-05-80 (Metro Bank)

Account number: 41022558

Please quote your full postcode and house/flat number in the reference.

You can of course use the same details to make a one-off payment.

Alternatively, cash or cheques made payable to HADRA can be delivered to:

HADRA Membership Secretary, 36 Byron Avenue, Coulsdon, CR5 2JR.

Please quote your postcode and flat/house number.

Our Accounting period

If you require assistance

If you have any queries, please email treasurer@hadra.org

— We appreciate your kind and continued support of HADRA —