Successful Prosecutions For Fly-Tipping And Excess Waste Are A Warning To Offenders

Successful prosecutions for fly-tipping and excess waste are a warning to offenders: We WILL catch you and you WILL be prosecuted. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is getting tough on fly-tippers and those who repeatedly leave excess waste on our streets. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Over the past few months, Councillors and Officers have worked tirelessly to investigate, and bring to justice, a number of offenders who have fly-tipped and/or repeatedly left excess waste on our streets. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new Enforcement Team have laid a marker down, showing that we mean to clean up our County Borough. This is supported by the number of successful prosecutions which have recently been dealt with in the Magistrates Court. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Between 19th April and 14th June, 2016, the Council successfully prosecuted 9 individuals for fly tipping and for waste collection breaches – with fines totalling £3145.00, costs of £1024.00 and £326.50 in victim surcharges issued. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

However, this is just a small figure in comparison to the massive cost to the taxpayers of Merthyr Tydfil to clean up this type of waste. Over a five year period between 2010 and 2015, fly-tipping alone has cost Merthyr Tydfil taxpayers almost £270,000; money that could be much better spent on improved services for our community. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More Prosecutions to Come ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And we’re not stopping there; we have over 100 ongoing investigations which WILL lead to further prosecutions. Our “ready for prosecution” files are growing on a weekly basis. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We want to send a strong message out to those offenders: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

You WILL be caught and you WILL be prosecuted. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor David Jones, Cabinet Member with Portfolio for Neighbourhood Services and Public Protection, said: “Fly tipping is blighting our beautiful County Borough, so the Council is taking a firm stance on anyone found to be committing these types of offences. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Council is continuing to clear up the fly-tipped waste, but it is an up-hill battle at the moment, with further fly-tipping appearing within days of it being cleared. Please be assured that the Council is using all means available to detect and prosecute those responsible. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Recently, we have even had several cases of Asbestos being fly-tipped around the County Borough. This is a particularly senseless practise which could be hazardous to anyone who comes into contact with that material. When we prosecute those responsible, and it is when, not if, penalties are likely to be much more severe than those that have been issued to date because of the serious health issues associated with Asbestos. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Our investigations have also shown us the great lengths that people will go to in order to fly-tip. Some people are travelling great distances to dump their rubbish, when all they need to do is sort it out at home, put it outside in the receptacles provided and we will collect it for FREE. Easy really.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

No prosecution-No financial penalty-Positive environmental impact. EVERYONE wins! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​