The latest Welsh Government figures on the incidence of fly tipping in Wales are expected to be published today. The Government has initiated a formal consultation process on tackling the problem of litter and fly tipping.
CLA Cymru Director, Nigel Hollett says:-
“Today’s expected figures from the Welsh Government today refer only to formally-reported cases. Incidents on private land are always under-reported, as farmers and land managers focus on clear-up and ensuring their normal business activities can keep going unimpeded. The CLA’s research has shown us that over 60 per cent of farmers and landowners have had to deal with fly-tipped waste. The average clear-up cost borne by farmers and landowners is over £800 per incident.
During the Covid 19 lockdowns the inaccessibility of public waste transfer stations has done nothing to discourage fly-tipping. Land managers who fail to clear-up fly-tipped waste face possible prosecution whatever the source of the waste – as well as paying-out for the cost of removal and repair of damage. Fly tipping is a crime in which innocent victims pay penalties while perpetrators fail to carry out their own responsibilities, often pocket some cash and go unpunished – encouraging them to commit the offence again.
The Welsh Government is consulting on their plan to reduce litter and fly tipping. We will be recommending more resources for local authorities to detect and enforce penalties, more engagement in consumer product supply chains to reduce waste, and further efforts to educate to bring about cultural change in attitude about waste – important steps if the Welsh Government’s vision to increase access to the countryside is to be a success.
