Plea for respect over unsightly lane litter

RESPECT your neighbours and your communities – that’s the plea from Carmarthenshire County Council after two prosecutions involving unsightly waste being dumped in people’s back lanes.

Two Llanelli women have found themselves in court after failing to heed the advice of council enforcement officers who were following up complaints from their neighbours.

Both women were found to have dumped blue recycling bags contaminated with dirty nappies, glass and rotting food in the lane behind their homes, amongst other bulky items that had been left to cause a nuisance.

Sharon Tea, of Ropewalk Road, had also dumped a broken chest freezer in her lane and was taken to court after failing to heed an environmental notice served on her and failing to pay a subsequent fixed penalty notice after being caught committing a similar offence again a few months later.

She was found guilty by Llanelli magistrates and handed a £220 fine as well as costs of £299 and a £37 victim surcharge.

Marie Maclean, of Elizabeth Street, had dumped a bed base and mattress behind her home as well as a large quantity of contaminated blue bags. She too was served an environmental notice, and a fixed penalty notice after offending again which she refused to pay.

Her case was also referred to court where she entered a guilty plea, fined £146, with costs of £299 and a £32 victim surcharge.

Cllr Philip Hughes, Executive Board Member for enforcement, said: “Both women could have avoided these hefty fines had they just taken more care and consideration.

“Blue bags are for recyclable paper, cardboard, plastic and tin – they are not for dirty nappies, rotting food and glass. Dirty nappies go in black bags, waste food goes in the green bin, and glass goes to a bottle bank.

“And instead of dumping a freezer and a bed behind their homes for all their neighbours to see, they could have booked a bulky waste collection which would have cost only £25 or taken it free of charge to one of our recycling centres.

“This really is a matter of respect for your neighbours – waste that’s put out wrongly is unsightly and can attract vermin.”

For a full range of advice, including a recycling A-Z, and options for proper disposal of waste and recycling, visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/recycling

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Alan has a long career of working with children in education. Latterly he ran a busy photography studio and worked for local newspapers. He started one of the first hyperlocals in Wales, which has gone from strength to strength. He is a member of the NUJ and sits on the board of the Independent Community News Network.

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