July 19, 2022

Biffa Wales | Biffa Cardiff | Waste Management in Wales

Pontypool Waste Disposal

A Pontypool man has been made to pay £1, 784 after he illegally disposed of trade waste which ended up fly tipped at the British site near Talywain in October 2015 A man has been ordered to pay nearly £2, 000 for dumping waste on a Welsh mountain.

Damien Robinson, 29, illegally dumped trade waste at the British mountain near Talywain in October 2015.

He carried out a paint job in Bristol and was paid to remove waste from a bathroom and kitchen renovation despite not having a waste carrier’s license.

Robinson, of Trevethin, claims to have subcontracted out the waste disposal to a third party and to have “turned a blind eye” to where it went.

He was prosecuted for knowingly permitting the deposit of controlled waste, failing to secure that the transfer of the waste was only to an authorised person and failing to provide a written description of the waste.

Robinson plead guilty to two offenses at Cwmbran Magistrate’s Court last week and was fined a total of £1, 784 - £280 for each offense, £1, 196 for costs to the council and a £28 victim surcharge.

Richard Marshall, senior environmental health officer at Torfaen council, said: “Around two thirds of all illegally dumped waste in Wales comes from residential households, and householders have a legal responsibility to ensure that their waste is disposed of properly.

“The householder Mr Robinson was working for paid him in good faith to remove the waste which was then dumped illegally. Fortunately in this case the right person was prosecuted, but householders should always check that traders are registered to remove waste or they could be hit with a huge fine.”

'Fly tipping is a serious environmental crime'

Councillor Gwyneria Clark, Torfaen council’s executive member for planning and public protection, said: “Fly tipping is a serious environmental crime which costs the tax payer thousands of pounds to clear up every year.

“The British mountain has traditionally been a fly tipping hotspot and we are working in partnership with colleagues in Blaenau Gwent to increase officer patrols and surveillance in this area.

“Now that much of the site is to return to public ownership we have a real opportunity to create a cleaner, greener environment for residents and visitors to enjoy, and I would urge anyone who witnesses fly tipping to report it confidentially to the council.”