GPS tracking will help target fly-tippers

 

GPS technology is being used to target fly-tippers in Carmarthenshire.

 

The pilot scheme has been launched by Fly-tipping Action Wales to track cases of fly-tipping across the nine local authorities in the South Wales Valleys area.

Carmarthenshire County Council has received three of the GPS units for environmental enforcement officers to use.

Each fly-tipping incident will be recorded and mapped out by location, size and waste type.

A first in Wales, the aim of the scheme is to reduce cases of fly-tipping, identify trends and key hot-spots, helping to improve overall intelligence sharing across local authorities.

If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across the rest of Wales.

The council’s Executive Board Member for the Environment Cllr Philip Hughes said: “Fly-tipping is not only a nuisance but it is unattractive, environmentally harmful and potentially dangerous, not to mention the detrimental effect it has on our tourism trade. It also costs us thousands of pounds a year to clean up.

“By working together and making use of new technology such as this, we can tackle the problem of fly-tipping and make a real difference to the area in which we live.”

Latest figures show that more than 48,000 incidents of fly-tipping were recorded in Wales with a total clean-up cost of more than £2.7 million. In Carmarthenshire alone, 1,619 incidents were recorded.

Project manager for Fly-tipping Action Wales in the Valleys Regional Park Gary Evans said: “More than £25 million is being injected into the Valleys to help maximise the area’s potential and we cannot sit back and let fly-tippers blight our towns, villages and beautiful landscapes.

“We all have a responsibility to get rid of our waste legally and safely, and Fly-tipping Action Wales is committed to working with local authorities and other partners to make sure that a strong sense of pride remains in our communities.

“One of the best ways the public can help in the fight against fly-tipping is to use an Environment Agency registered waste carrier and to ask where your waste is going. If your waste is found fly-tipped, you will be responsible, and you could face a hefty fine.”

Fly-tipping Action Wales is part of the Valleys Regional Park initiative, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government.

You can find registered waste carriers in your area by visiting www.environment-agency.gov.uk or calling the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.

For further information on your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre, for a bulky waste collection or to report a fly-tipped incident call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567 or visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk