No fly tipping fines in Bridgend since 2015

Local TV

Despite over a thousand incidents of fly tipping every year, the local authority in Bridgend have failed to prosecute or fine anyone in relation to the issue. The council say they are focusing on education rather than punishment, but local organisations are concerned that not enough is being done.

Transcript

00:00Fly tipping continues to be a major issue across Wales, but new figures show that one

00:06local authority hasn't prosecuted anyone for the offence in nearly a decade.

00:12Welsh Government data reveals that Brygend County Borough Council hasn't taken legal

00:15action against a single fly tipper since 2015, despite recording more than 1,500 incidents

00:21during the last financial year alone.

00:24By comparison, neighbouring councils, including Neithportalbert, have successfully taken offenders

00:29to court, securing multiple prosecutions and fines.

00:33Local councillors in Brygend say the lack of action has left many residents frustrated.

00:38Members of the area's independent group argue that fly tipping blights communities and that

00:42more needs to be done to hold offenders accountable.

00:46In response, Brygend County Borough Council says it is not ignoring the problem, but is

00:50instead focusing on prevention and education rather than punishment.

00:54A council spokesperson said officers continue to log and investigate all reports of fly

00:59tipping, but by law they must show they have tried to work with residents before issuing fines.

01:05They added that reduced resources have made it harder to take enforcement action, but their

01:09new approach is showing results.

01:11With an 18.6% drop in fly tipping and waste incidents reported since 2022, and a nearly 20%

01:17fall in household waste bags being dumped illegally.

01:21The council insists that where appropriate, it will still take enforcement action against

01:25repeat offenders who refuse to dispose of waste properly.

01:28But with more than a thousand fly tipping incidents still happening each year in the borough, some

01:34residents are questioning whether prevention alone is enough, and whether tougher penalties

01:38might be needed to stop the problem for good.

01:40James Beach Watkins, reporting for Local TV.

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