Man fined £1200 for failing in waste duty of care

A Briton Ferry man has been ordered to pay a fine for failing to ensure waste was disposed of correctly. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The waste which contained items related to a house renovation at Compass Street, Manselton, Swansea, was investigated by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Roky Bipin Ranjani of Neath Road, Briton Ferry pleaded guilty to the offence in relation to section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

On 2nd February 2016, council solicitor Mike Shaw told Swansea Magistrates Court that on 13th March 2015, the local authority had received a complaint that a large quantity of controlled waste had been deposited on land at Kennel Row, Briton Ferry. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Carl Adamiec, Neath Port Talbot Council Waste Enforcement Officer visited the site on 17th March and found the waste which was consistent with refurbishment work. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Adamiec examined the waste for evidence of its possible origins and found correspondence bearing the Compass Street address. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Upon visiting the property on 23rd March he found it to be empty but in the process of being sold. Following enquiries with the agents they were able to provide him with photos showing the interior of the property. These would later assist in identifying items amongst the deposited waste. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Further enquiries revealed that the defendant had been undertaking works at the property prior to its purchase by his then fiancé. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

At an interview, Mr Ranjani recognised the waste as being from the Compass Street address. He said that he and his employees had been working at the property and he had instructed one of his employees to dispose of the waste. He said that he had told the employee to take the waste to the “tip”, although he was unable to say which tip he had mind, and he made no enquiry whether the employee was a registered waste carrier. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The defendant was not prepared to give the employees name or contact details. He said that the employee no longer worked for him. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In not providing the details of the employee, the local authority was unable to take its investigation of the fly tip further. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Ranjani’s solicitor, Mr Richard Gardner, said in mitigation that Mr Ranjani had regretted what happened with regards to the waste and had withheld the name of the former employee from a sense of misguided loyalty. He said his client had also since cleared the site of the waste. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Ranjani was ordered by the court to pay a total of £1883.66 in fines and charges. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Council Leader Cllr Ali Thomas OBE said: “The latest figures show that Neath Port Talbot Council achieved the highest number of tipping prosecutions for any Welsh local authority in 2014-15.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our approach is not simply to ensure fly tipped material is removed quickly but to actively pursue those individuals who dump waste within the county borough.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I am very pleased that Council officers have once again secured a good result for Neath Port Talbot residents. Our Waste Enforcement team’s Twitter account means it is now even easier to report incidents and I would urge anyone who has any information on fly tipping to get in touch.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

To report fly tipping in Neath Port Talbot tweet @nptwastecrime, report it online or call (01639) 686868. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​