Three fly-tippers have been fined almost a combined £4,000 for blighting Rhondda Cynon Taf.
These latest cases again highlight the ZERO-Tolerance approach the Council takes concerning litter, fly-tipping and irresponsible dog owners. The Council will use all its available powers to catch those responsible for blighting its towns and countryside.
ALL three fly-tippers went to court for failing to control their waste under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out the offence of fly-tipping: “Anyone who produces, imports, keeps, stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste must take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed properly”. Anyone failing to adhere to this could face a hefty fine, as these fly-tippers discovered!
TWO of the three offenders failed to attend the court, and the matter was proven in their absence. The first offender had a hefty fine of £1760, Costs of £624.41 and a Victim Surcharge of £176 – a Total of £2,560.41!
The second was handed a fine of £440, Costs of £624.41 and Victim Surcharge of £44 – a Total of £1108.41
The final offender entered a guilty plea and had learned a hard lesson. You must ensure that if you pay someone to dispose of your waste, you must have a record to show that you checked that they are licensed to do so, or the duty of care remains with you. This lesson cost the man a fine of £40, Costs of £254 and Victim Surcharge of £34 – a total of £328.
These cases act as a clear reminder that residents have a duty of care to dispose of their waste appropriately and to ensure that items are disposed of
correctly. Failure to do this could cost you more than travelling a few miles to the nearest local community recycling centre!
The Council has a weekly, unlimited, kerbside dry, food waste and nappy recycling service and many community recycling centres across the County Borough. There’s no excuse for fly-tipping, especially items that can be collected at the kerbside or recycled right here in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure said:
“Fly-tipping in our County Borough will not be tolerated, EVER. There is NEVER an excuse to blight our towns, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account.
“As these cases highlight, we investigate ALL fly-tipping reports and will uncover all the details as these offenders found out.
“Removal of fly-tipping in our County Borough costs hundreds of thousands of pounds which should be spent on key front-line services.
“We will use EVERY power available to us to hold those accountable for their actions. Many of the items we recover on our streets, towns and mountains could have been taken to a Community Recycling Centre or collected from the kerbside at no extra cost.”
