A couple from Mountain Ash have shown they are partners in crime not just in life as they both receive a FINE for £928 for fly-tipping!
The couple were caught red handed after their waste was found dumped. Their waste consisted of 18 black bags of waste and a bicycle on an embankment in Blaenrhondda, opposite a residential area.
Despite failing to attend a number of PACE interviews and a change of address, the pair were no match for the Streetcare Enforcement team and were tracked down and held to account for their joint actions at magistrates court!
The items were dumped just 2 miles away from the Treherbert Community Recycling Centre. This acts 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 end up costing you a lot more than travelling a few miles to the nearest local community recycling centre!
Section 33(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out the offence of fly tipping describing it as the “illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it”. Anyone illegally disposing of their waste could face a hefty fine as these people have discovered!
Fly tipping, dropping litter or allowing your dog to foul in a public place will not be tolerated in Rhondda Cynon Taf and, as this latest case shows, the Council will use all its available powers to catch those responsible for blighting its towns and countryside.
As well as carrying out routine checks around the County Borough and responding to the reports it receives, the Council has a number of covert, roaming cameras placed in key locations to catch offenders red-handed.
The Council has a weekly, unlimited, kerbside dry, food waste and nappy recycling service, and a number of community recycling centres across the County Borough, so 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, Leisure and Heritage Services, said:
“Fly-tipping in our County Borough will not be tolerated, there is NEVER an excuse to blight our towns, streets and villages with your waste and we will find those responsible and hold them to account.
“As this case highlights, we investigate ALL reports of fly-tipping and we will unravel all the details, even the challenging ones, as this offender has found out.
“Removal of fly-tipping in our County Borough costs hundreds of thousands of pounds – which could be spent on key front-line services.
“We will use EVERY power we have available to us, to hold those accountable for their actions. Many of the items we recover on our streets, towns and mountains are items that could have been taken to a Community Recycling Centre or even collected from the kerbside – at no extra cost.”
