Welsh hunt for illegal fly-tippers

As the better weather and longer daylight hours herald a start on many do-it-yourself projects, CLA Wales chairman John Homfray, who farms near Cowbridge, said householders or builders with waste to dispose of can easily be tempted by people offering to do the job for cash in hand.

“But invariably these cowboys take the waste and illegally dump it on private land rather than disposing of it legally.

“Fly-tipping is a major problem for farmers and land managers all year round but the holiday periods have been traditionally particularly bad.

“The owners of the land where waste is dumped have to remove it themselves, often at considerable cost ─ and if this is not done quickly, more fly-tipping often takes place and the pile grows and grows.

“We are asking everyone with waste to dispose of it properly and legally,” he said.

According to Mr Homfray many landowners are afraid of reporting fly-tipping incidents for fear of being fined or incurring heavy costs when they have done absolutely nothing wrong.

“There is an urgent need for a review of the ways in which landowners are able to recycle materials dumped on their property,” he said.

He said local authorities should accept fly-tipped waste at local tips easily and without charge to landowners and those who had waste materials – particularly hazardous waste such as asbestos – dumped on their land should not have to face prosecution and have to foot the bill for removing it.

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