Appeal in bid to track down illegal flytippers
EFFORTS are being made to trace where a large amount of flytipping in the Jersey Marine area has originated from.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s waste enforcement has taken to social media, posting photos of old furniture, wood and televisions that have been dumped in recent weeks on land between Swansea and Briton Ferry.
The parcel of land near Ashleigh Terrace is owned by Network Rail and is usually blocked off by a barrier.
However, Network Rail confirms the padlock has been broken twice.
Neath Port Talbot Council said it welcomed the public’s assistance in tracing where the rubbish may have come from.
In a statement it said: “The waste was near Ashleigh Terrace, on land that is not under the council’s ownership.
“It was reported on Wednesday, May 20, and a waste enforcement officer attended the scene on Thursday morning.
“Due to nature of the waste, it would not have been accepted at our household waste and recycling centres.
“We believe the waste originated from the Swansea area as some of it was contained in Swansea Council waste bags.”
Appealing to the public for help, the council reiterated its zero tolerance approach to flytipping.
Neath Port Talbot Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for streetscene and engineering Councillor Ted Latham said: “Neath Port Talbot Council does not condone those who damage our environment by dumping waste.
“We take a zero-tolerance approach to flytipping and have a consistently strong enforcement record.
“Our waste enforcement officers are still checking all instances of flytipping across the county borough for evidence.
“Those responsible may not hear from us immediately, but all evidence is being retained and will be followed up; and may subsequently lead to a prosecution.”
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “We were made aware of this issue in March and we inspected the site once we were alerted and established that the lock on the barrier had been cut away.
“We replaced the lock, but the area was subject to more flytipping and, in addition, sustained damage to the barrier area.
“We have liaised with Neath Port Talbot Council on this and British Transport
Police have committed to more patrolling in this area. “At no point was the network’s safe operating compromised as the incidents took place outside the perimeter boundary. “We are working with Fly Tipping Wales to help highlight hotspot areas and have had approved funding for cameras at known high risk locations in order to help in the fight to stop flytipping on our land.”
Neath Port Talbot Council does not condone those who damage our environment by dumping waste. We take a zero-tolerance approach to fly tipping and have a consistently strong enforcement record - Neath Port Talbot Council deputy
leader Councillor Ted Latham