HOUSEHOLDERS in Swansea will face a £300 fixed penalty notice for arranging for someone to take away their waste who then ends up illegally dumping it.
The proposal has been agreed by Swansea Council’s Cabinet as part of efforts to deter people from thinking it is OK to arrange to have their waste taken by someone who might disfigure the countryside and communities by dumping rubbish rather than using a licensed waste site.
The new rules will allow the council’s Waste Enforcement team to issue fixed penalty notices to householders who ignore their ‘duty of care’ by arranging for someone without a waste carrier license to dispose of their waste.
Up until now the only way to tackle householders who failed in their duty of care to check the person disposing of the waste has a correct licence has been to prosecute them through the courts.
Householders in Swansea can take their waste to council recycling centres in the city for free.
Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Let’s be clear, fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. Swansea enjoys some of the best scenery in Wales and nobody wants to see it spoiled by people dumping household waste, fridges, beds and other materials.
“Nor do we want people to think it is OK just to get rid of waste by dumping it on green space near homes in our communities, in alleyways or lanes.”
He said: “For a number of years we have been able to issue FPNs to householders who dump their own waste. Our message to householders now is that you must check the company you’re hiring has a disposal licence, otherwise you’ll be just as liable as them to an FPN if they fly-tip your waste.
“Cowboy operators often charge less than proper businesses because they fly-tip rather than get rid of waste safely. This behaviour damages our countryside and also undermines legitimate waste disposal companies who are doing the right thing.”
He added: “Adopting a FPN approach to some cases will deter people from dumping waste in the first place and make it more straightforward for the council to enforce anti-fly tipping activities without having to take cases to court.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t go to court where necessary. But FPNs are now an additional part of a wide range of steps we can take to protect our communities and countryside from harm caused by fly-tipping.”
