SHAMELESS fly-tippers have been condemned for dumping asbestos and trade waste in a country lane west of Newport.

Specialist contractors were brought in to remove the hazardous waste in the Marshfield area last Wednesday.

“Fly-tipping is a scourge - it blights beautiful countryside and urban streets across the country," said Newport city councillor Roger Jeavons.

Newport council said it took a "zero tolerance approach" to fly-tipping, and in the past six months had handed out dozens of fines and fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) to offenders.

The sums raised through these fines pale in comparison to the huge costs involved in clearing up illegally-dumped waste, however.

Fly-tipping regularly costs Newport council more than £100,000 a year to clean up. Last year, that cost was £117,452.

The council had to pay for a specialist crew to clean up the asbestos in Marshfield last week.

South Wales Argus:

Fly-tipping in the Marshfield area of Newport. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

At one site, the culprits had dumped a load of insulation, chipboard panelling, and carpet in a lay-by near The Parc Golf Club - partially blocking the road and leaving an unsightly mess in what is otherwise a peaceful area of green farmland.

Fly-tippers had also targeted another lay-by just a few hundred metres down the road.

South Wales Argus:

Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

There, a yellowed mattress and broken bed frame had been dumped atop a pile of household and garden waste which included timber, cut branches, empty paint pots, and a broken armchair.

"Newport City Council shares the dismay of residents and businesses about those who selfishly and thoughtlessly fail to dispose of their waste responsibly," Cllr Jeavons said.

"This impacts on all those who live in, work in and visit the city, and has a huge cost not only on the council but on the environment."

The council said it planned to spend an extra £213,000 on making Newport cleaner and safer - and this would include funds to tackle illegal waste. There are also plans to use new CCTV cameras to identify offenders.

But despite efforts to curb fly-tipping, statistics show many culprits across Wales are evading more serious punishment.

In 2018/19, there were 35,076 reported cases of fly-tipping nationwide, but councils only prosecuted 133 offenders.

Beyond the standard fines and FPNs, fly-tippers who are prosecuted can face fines of up to £50,000 and up to 12 months in prison.

For the most serious cases, the fine is unlimited and offences can be punished by up to five years in prison.

The reality, however, is that the vast majority of offenders are never prosecuted.

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In Gwent, only a handful of fly-tippers were fined in court in 2018/19, and several more were given absolute or conditional discharges.

Here are the fly-tipping statistics for each of Gwent's five local authorities in 2018/19:

  • Blaenau Gwent - 1,167 incidents; £70,425 clean-up cost; five prosecutions (four fines, one discharge).
  • Caerphilly - 1,949 incidents; £146,409 clean-up cost; five prosecutions (three fines, two discharges).
  • Monmouthshire - 300 incidents; £12,730 clean-up cost; no prosecutions.
  • Newport - 2,697 incidents; £117,452 clean-up cost; no prosecutions.
  • Torfaen - 836 incidents; £37,434 clean-up cost; three prosecutions (one fine, two discharges).

Cllr Jeavons said the city council was working "incredibly hard" to combat fly-tipping, but said the public also had a part to play.

He urged residents to avoid unregistered waste disposal services who may be operating outside the law.

South Wales Argus:

Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

"People will often drive for miles to dump piles of waste, and these can be unlicensed carriers who have been paid by householders to take away their rubbish," he said.

“People should always check that operators are licensed as not only are they are enabling an unscrupulous - and possibly criminal - practice, they are also committing an offence."

Residents who do not check could receive a fine and/or be prosecuted, if their waste is fly-tipped by the carrier.

Fly-Tipping Action Wales offers the following advice to residents:

  • Ask the waste disposal service to show you proof they are registered to carry or accept waste.
  • Confirm the details yourself by visiting naturalresources.wales/checkWaste.
  • Make a note of their name (or business name), vehicle type and registration.
  • Record the date they took your waste away and ask them where your waste is going.
  • A registered waste carrier's licence number begins with CBD and ends with 1 to 6 numbers. Legitimate and responsible waste operators will be happy to provide you with this information.