A week-long campaign clamping down on fly-tipping and environmental crime in Conwy was launched by a North Wales partnership last week to coincide with the start of Wales Sustainability Week.
Led by Conwy County Borough Council and Fly-tipping Action Wales, the Total Focus Week campaign involved eight local organisations coming together to clean up fly-tipped hot spots and tackle illegal waste dumper activity across the county.
Throughout the week, partners from Keep Wales Tidy; North Wales Police; Environment Agency Wales; Fairy Glen Housing Association and Arson Reduction Team carried out waste carrier stop checks, pollution prevention visits and community clean-ups.
In Conwy County, the Council reported a total of 1,580 cases of fly-tipping during 2008/09 which resulted in a total clean-up cost of almost £144,470. In Wales, there were a total of 55,300 fly-tipping incidents in the year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. The annual clean-up cost to tax-payers in Wales is £3 million.
To launch the week, enforcement officers from Environment Agency Wales and Conwy County Borough Council joined officers from the North Wales Police task force to carry out spot checks at random on trade waste carriers at Mochdre Industrial Estate. The checks saw officers asking waste carriers if they held the appropriate licences to dispose of waste legally and safely.
Elsewhere, Conwy County Borough Council arranged a walkabout inspection of houses in multiple occupation and organised a street cleansing team to carry out spot cleaning and litter picking.
Phil Rafferty, Head of Regulatory Services for Conwy County Borough Council, said: “This campaign was a great way of raising awareness of fly-tipping and throwing litter. We have to deal with these problems on a regular basis and this is an ideal opportunity to remind those breaking the law that they can expect to be dealt with severely.”
Inspector Essi Ahari of North Wales Police, said: “Fly-tipping is anti-social behaviour affecting all of us. Our joint enforcement activity highlighted this and sends a strong message to those who wilfully break the law and pollute our environment.”
Anthony Randles, North Wales co-ordinator for Fly-tipping Action Wales, said: “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Conwy County Borough Council and all the partners involved to tackle fly-tipping in Conwy. Fly-tipping is an un-necessary blight on our communities and carries a high cost for tax payers also.”
Cllr Philip Evans, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Regulatory Services said, “There’s no excuse for fly-tipping and local residents should not have to tolerate this type of behaviour. Cleaning up fly-tipping costs us all money; it’s dangerous and potentially harmful to health; it spoils our enjoyment of the surroundings and can cause serious pollution of the environment. The Council will do everything in its power to prevent environmental crime taking place and I’m delighted to see all the agencies working together to tackle the issue.”
The week coincided with the start of Wales Sustainability Week, organised by the Welsh Assembly Government, to take action to make Wales more sustainable through partnership working and to promote the work that is already underway in Wales.
Environment Agency Wales supported the Wales Sustainability Week through raising awareness amongst its staff, promoting what’s being doing within its own offices, and committing support to the ‘One Wales One Planet’ scheme.
To report an incident of fly-tipped waste, contact Conwy County Borough Council on (01492) 575279 or email [email protected] Alternatively the public can call the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.
For more information on fly-tipping and how you can help play a part in tackling the issue in Wales, visit www.flytippingactionwales.org.
Notes about fly-tipping:
- Fly-tipping is a serious environmental crime which poses a threat to humans and wildlife, damages our environment, and spoils our enjoyment of our towns and countryside. In fly-tipping hot spots it can even reduce property prices, and local businesses may suffer as people stay away.
- One of the best ways the public can help in the fight against fly-tipping is to use an Environment Agency registered waste carrier and ask where your waste is going.
- You can find the registered carriers in your area by visiting www.flytippingactionwales.org or calling 08708 506 506.
