Birmingham Magistrates Court has fined a city man £1,000 after he repeatedly ignored orders to clear a large amount of fly-tipped waste from his land, a site that had become infested with rats.
Baljit Panesar, 54, of Fulham Road, Birmingham, failed to appear at the hearing on Thursday, August 27, and the case was proved in his absence. The court heard that Panesar had previously been issued with a community protection notice by Birmingham City Council to clear the land behind houses on Fulham Road, but he had not complied.
Council investigation and legal notices
Kate Simms, prosecuting on behalf of Birmingham City Council, told the court that concerns had been raised about a 'large amount' of fly-tipping on land behind a house in Fulham Road. After land registry checks, council officers established that the land belonged to Panesar and issued a community protection notice ordering him to clear the site.
However, by June 26, 2025, Panesar had still not complied. The site remained full of waste, and officers detected rodent activity. A further legal notice was served on September 22, demanding that the land be cleared within 28 days, but no waste was removed. The court also heard that the local authority had received no correspondence from Panesar.
Council clears site at cost of £3,550
Birmingham City Council decided to clear the land itself, with a quote estimating the cost at around £3,550. The waste was eventually cleared in January this year.
Simms also revealed that Panesar had three previous waste-related charges proved against him regarding the same land, the first of which dated back to 2014. She told the court: "There has been clear non-compliance and non-contact."
She added: "You will be well aware of the significant impact of fly-tipping and the growing problem nationally and within Birmingham. It places a considerable financial and environmental strain on local authorities and communities and results in substantial clean up and investigation costs which are borne by the public. There is serial disregard in relation to the council trying to clear up the land and costs accumulated."
Fine and costs imposed
Magistrates fined Panesar £1,000 and ordered him to pay a surcharge of £400 and total costs of £4,921.25. The total financial penalty amounts to £6,321.25.
