The Welsh council said David Wayne John, 61, of Brookdale Street, Neath, was ordered to pay a total of £858.52 at Swansea Magistrates’ Court after black bags and household waste were found on land at Derifach Lane, Glynneath, earlier this year.
The court heard that the authority’s waste enforcement officers first spoke to Mr John in May about a trailer containing black bags and household waste, which he said would be removed. However, these were later found dumped at Derifach Lane and linked to Mr John, the council said.
It also said that Mr John admitted during an interview in August to paying someone £40 to remove the waste without checking the person’s waste carrier licence. He said he did not know the person and no longer had contact information, the council noted.
Additionally, it was found that the land where the waste was deposited did not have a waste management licence.
According to the council, Mr John pleaded guilty to an Environmental Protection Act offence, for which he was fined £200. He also admitted breaching a suspended sentence for another unrelated offence for which he was fined an additional £50, as well as being ordered to pay a £34 victim impact surcharge. The defendant was also ordered to pay costs of £574.52.
‘Duty of care’
Neath Port Talbot council’s cabinet member for streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones, said: “This case highlights the fact that it’s our duty of care where our household waste ends up.
“Don’t get fooled by fly-tippers because if your waste is found fly-tipped, both you and the fly-tipper could face enforcement action.”
Cllr Jones warned that anyone caught fly-tipping in Wales could face enforcement actions including a £400 fixed penalty notice, having their vehicle seized, an unlimited fine in court or imprisonment.
He urged residents using a waste carrier to take measures to confirm their credibility, including by asking for contact details as well as their waste carrier licence, making sure they receive a ‘transfer note’ and taking a vehicle registration number from the carrier.
The council added that a list of registered waste carriers is available on the Natural Resources Wales website.
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