Working towards a fly-tipping free Wales
4 Jun 2014 04:14 PM
The Minister for Natural
Resources, Alun Davies, has set out his plans to reduce fly-tipping across
Wales
During 2012/13, there were over
34,000 reported incidents of fly-tipping, which cost the Welsh taxpayer
£1.9 million to clear-up. Although incidents of fly-tipping have
decreased in Wales in recent years, it remains a significant and expensive
problem.
The Welsh Government is taking
action to reduce this costly problem and the Minister is asking people to have
their say on the new draft strategy, A Fly-tipping Free Wales.
Alun Davies
said:
“Fly-tipping is a crime
that spoils our neighbourhoods and has a big impact on our local communities.
It also poses a threat to people and wildlife as it spreads disease, pollutes
the environment, contaminates soil and can make areas more liable to flooding.
This is completely unacceptable.”
The new draft strategy sets out
how the Welsh Government will work in partnership with organisations including
Natural Resources Wales, the police, fire service, housing associations and
local authorities to reduce incidences of fly-tipping.
It also proposes that the
reduction in fly-tipping should be achieved through a combination of measures
including business engagement, education, community action, publicity campaigns
and enforcement including fines of up to £50,000 and prison sentences.
The Minister
added:
“Currently in Wales an
average of four incidents of fly-tipping take place every hour of every day.
The cost of clearing up this waste is staggering and this is money that could
be better spent elsewhere to help improve the lives of people in
Wales.
“We will do all we can to
discourage and prevent fly-tipping across Wales and ensure that when people do
fly-tip, they are caught and punished appropriately.”
The draft strategy sets out the
actions needed to address the issue of fly-tipping against challenging
timescales and progress will be reported annually.
Emyr Roberts, from Natural
Resources Wales said:
“Fly-tipping affects us
all – it spoils our countryside, damages our wildlife and can make areas
less attractive for investment.
“It may be the actions of
a few reckless individuals, but we all have a role to play in reducing this
blight on our neighbourhoods.
“Everyone can do their bit
by making sure they only use registered waste carriers and reporting incidents
of fly-tipping to their local authority.”
Links
Draft fly-tipping
strategy