The public are being asked to report off road vehicles which are damaging safety measures put in place across tips in Rhondda Cynon Taf and users of off-road vehicles are urged to reconsider riding on the tips due to the dangers that the damage poses to local communities.
The Council are working with South Wales Police to educate off road vehicle users about the danger that riding on the tips creates. Off road vehicles cause damage to the drainage systems that are essential for tip safety, and which are maintained by the RCT Tip Safety Team who work endlessly to maintain the safety of tips across RCT. Damage to the drainage systems and tip surface not only results in uncontrolled drainage patterns, but blocks existing formal drainage causing overtopping, instability and potentially landslides. This poses risks to nearby communities and infrastructure and entails significant maintenance cost to repair.
The RCT Tip Safety Team will be installing signage on the most problematic sites to discourage off roading and to remind people of the threats that damaged tips cause to communities and wildlife.
Councillor Bob Harris, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Communities, said: “For safety reasons many tips have drainage infrastructure on them which ensures water is collected and directed away from the body of the tip into drainage systems or watercourses off site. However, use of off-road vehicles can damage this essential drainage infrastructure
“Functioning drainage infrastructure is key in helping to maintain tip stability. The maintenance of this infrastructure is both time consuming and expensive. The Tips Team currently identify and prioritise the most at-risk tips and infrastructure and issue maintenance works accordingly, given the limited grant funded budget and contractor resource available.”
We ask that you report any possible sightings as every report helps South Wales Police allocate resources to tackle patterns of people using particular tips. If you see off road vehicles illegally driving on and damaging the tips, you can report it to South Wales Police via:
- swp101@south-wales.police.uk
- Or call 101
The information gathered from public reports helps to tackle the illegal off roading by informing the Off-Road Vehicle Operations, run by South Wales Police, who have the resources to tackle Off Road Vehicle nuisance. If individuals are identified, a team within RCT can take action against any perpetrators through the Anti-Social Behaviour enforcement legislation.
Gareth Prosser, South Wales Police Community Safety Manager, said: “Dangerous driving of off-road bikes is not only an anti-social behaviour issue, but it also puts public safety at risk for people using the land for legitimate purposes.
“Illegal riding can cause large environmental issues with the drainage of the land which alters the water course causing the tips to become unstable which may have an effect in the future.
“New trees that have been planted can also be destroyed by the off-road bikes too.
“Over the years, many tips have become overgrown with vegetation and are home to a range of wildlife, including birds, insects, and reptiles. However, the steep and sometimes unstable nature of the tips makes them a potentially dangerous environment.
“We are working closely with partner agencies to put an end to this behaviour and deter users through the coming summer months.”
South Wales Police require as much information as possible to deal with incidents and request that the following information is included if known:
- Details of the person reporting
- Date, time, and description of the incident
- Type of vehicle(s):
- Car, motorbike, quad bike etc
- Full or part registration number
- Make
- Model Colour
- Identifiable features
- Vehicle user details (if known)
- Any video, audio, or photo evidence
- If this type of incident happened before (with previous incident details if relevant)
- Information on how the incident is affecting you
Posted on 28/05/2024