Funding for new surveillance cameras and a review into fixed
penalties for fly-tipping are part of a tougher stance being taken
by the Welsh Government to tackle illegal dumping.
There were 42,171 fly-tipping incidents reported in Wales between
April 2023 and March 2024, with 71% involving household waste.
Now, thanks to Welsh Government funding, Fly-tipping Action Wales
is providing local authorities with 150 new trail cameras to
target hotspots and help clean up communities.
Grants have been also awarded to Denbighshire, Flintshire, Neath
Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire councils for enforcement and
camera-based projects, with lessons to be shared with others.
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change,
, said:
There is never any excuse for fly tipping. It blights our
streets, countryside and communities, and people the length and
breadth of the country are rightly angry about it.
We are determined to clean up our communities, and these new
cameras will help us do just that.
Our continued funding makes sure local authorities have access to
enforcement expertise, surveillance equipment and legal support
they need to catch and punish those who break the law.
Neath Port Talbot Councillor Scott Jones, Cabinet Member for
Streetscene, said:
The grant funding from Welsh Government has enabled us to invest
in new surveillance cameras to support our fight against
fly‑tipping. The equipment will be added to the various tools
that are already proving invaluable, allowing our Waste
Enforcement Team and Legal Services to take a far more proactive
approach in identifying offenders and securing successful
prosecutions.
Fly‑tipping is an environmental crime that blights our
communities. By strengthening our enforcement capabilities, we
are sending a clear message that this behaviour will not be
tolerated in Neath Port Talbot.
Welsh Government is also reviewing fixed penalty notice limits
for fly-tipping and household waste duty of care offences to
ensure they act as an effective deterrent.
The Deputy First Minister added:
We have listened to local authorities who want stronger tools to
tackle this problem, and we will consider whether current penalty
levels are sufficient to deter would-be offenders.
But we all have a role to play. I urge everyone to check that
anyone they pay to remove waste is a registered waste carrier. If
your waste ends up fly-tipped, you could face a fine or
prosecution and risk a criminal record.
Always check that anyone you pay to remove waste has a waste
carrier licence by visiting the Natural Resources Wales
website to confirm they are registered.
