Council takes action over shipping containers left in Eastbourne street

A spokesperson from Eastbourne Borough Council said, “Eastbourne Borough Council’s planning team has served an enforcement notice on a resident after he decided to position two large shipping containers in Roselands.

“Normally seen being carried by huge ocean going container ships, they have been left alongside a row of residential garages.”

According to the spokesperson, council officers served an enforcement notice on Mr Van Kleef, owner of the shipping containers, requiring their removal.

Mr Van Kleef, a resident of Sovereign Harbour, submitted a retrospective planning application to allow the containers to stay where they are, but it was refused and the decision has since been appealed, the spokesperson said.

Councillor Jim Murray, chair of the planning committee, said, “I’m sure the residents who found they were unexpectedly neighbouring two shipping containers see this enforcement action as a good first step in getting them removed.

“In my opinion, Mr Van Kleef made a bad decision and I hope that these ugly additions to Roselands will be gone very soon.”

The spokesperson said if the planning appeal is unsuccessful, the containers must be removed or the council will take possession of them and recover the costs for doing so from Mr Van Kleef.