Gwynedd Council will be using surveillance cameras to target fly-tipping hot-spots.
The Council’s Street Enforcement Team, who work in close partnership with anti-fly tipping initiative Fly-tipping Action Wales, are aiming to clamp down on illegal dumping by using hidden cameras to monitor certain areas.
This is in addition to the regular patrolling and investigation work which is already being carried out by the Council’s staff. The Council’s Street Enforcement Wardens and Police Community Support Officers are able to issue £75 on the spot fines for littering. In extreme cases, someone found guilty of fly-tipping could face a £50,000 fine or up to five years imprisonment.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Gwynedd Council’s Senior Portfolio Leader for the Environment said:
“The majority of people are genuinely concerned about the standard of their local environment, particularly their own neighbourhood, as dumping rubbish is unattractive, can pose a risk to public health and increase the fear of crime locally.
“This kind of anti-social behaviour should not be tolerated which is why Gwynedd Council and our partners are committed to tackling these problems head on, to achieve a cleaner and safer Gwynedd for those who live, work and visit the county.”
Gwyn Morris Jones, Gwynedd Council’s Head of Highways and Municipal Services, added:
“We would urge members of the public to take pride in their local environment. With the numerous recycling centres located throughout the county where a variety of waste items can be safely recycled there is no excuse for dumping rubbish.
“The use of cameras will help to deter people from dumping their rubbish and will also help to gather evidence about the small minority who continue to flout the law.”
Helen Jenkins, All-Wales Coordinator for Fly-tipping Action Wales, an initiative of more than 40 Welsh agencies which come together to clamp down on fly-tipping in communities across Wales including Gwynedd, said:
“Fly-tipping is a crime and every one of us has a legal responsibility to get rid of waste safely and without harming the local community and environment. Through working as a partnership, we try to share information on ways of tackling fly-tippers and this use of surveillance cameras will provide a way of capturing evidence that will hopefully lead to even greater numbers of prosecutions in the Gwynedd area.”
All Gwynedd homes receive regular rubbish, recycling and compost collection service. For more information about all Gwynedd Council’s waste and recycling services, including organising for a bulky waste collection, contact the Council’s Waste and Recycling Helpdesk on 01766 771000 or visit www.gwynedd.gov.uk/recycling
To report and instance of fly-tipping contact Gwynedd Council’s Street Enforcement Team on 01766 771000 or contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506506.
