THREE people who failed to attend Fly-tipping Enforcement interviews have been fined a combined total of £1562 at Merthyr Magistrates Court.
The three separate individuals, walked away with a fine of over £500 each by failing to comply with a Notice pursuant to Section 108(4)(c) and (l) of the Environment Act 1995, having previously been invited to attend two separate interviews under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) in relation to fly-tipping that had been discovered across the County Borough.
A Streetcare Enforcement Officer discovered a large pile of waste fly tipped at the side of the road in Fernhill, Mountain Ash, which included a number of bags filled with waste, food waste and old bedding, another incident saw FIVE black bags dumped on the pavement in Williams Street, Treherbert and the other saw a random black bag placed outside a business in Cardiff Street, Aberdare
Following detailed investigation and inquiries, evidence was uncovered that potentially linked the dumped waste to the THREE individuals.
The Streetcare Enforcement Officer invited them to attend interviews under PACE but the invites were ignored by all THREE individuals. This left Rhondda Cynon Taf Council with no choice but to serve a Legal Notice on the individuals under s108 of the Environment Act 1995 requiring them to attend an interview relating to the offences.
Despite the Council making them aware of the decision, they all still failed to make contact with the Streetcare team to discuss the matter, leaving no choice but to refer them to Court
Council Enforcement Officers have legal powers under specific legislation. They can issue fixed penalty notices to individuals and businesses and are able to use a number of means to investigate environment related offences, including PACE interviews. These notices and requests are issued to those who may have carried out or are responsible for certain offences, including waste management and fly-tipping.
By failing to comply with the Notice pursuant to Section 108(4)(c) and (l) of the Environment Act 1995 by not attending a PACE interview when requested and refusing to give information or engage with officers, all THREE had therefore committed an offence under Section 110(2) (a) of the Environment Act 1995.
Section 110 of the Environment Act 1995 - It is an offence for a person intentionally to obstruct an authorised person in the exercise or performance of his powers or duties.
The dedicated Streetcare team, play a key role across the County Borough in ensuring that our beautiful valley is kept clean and TIDY and free from the mess that fly-tippers create. These latest cases highlight the importance of these officers and sends a clear message to the public that their requests need to be followed, or you could find yourself in court. If you are invited to attend an interview and fail to attend, we can and will take action – you can’t escape it.
Councillor Louisa Addicott, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Capital Infrastructure, said:
"Fly-tipping will not be tolerated, EVER. There is NEVER an excuse to blight our, towns, lanes, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account – even if they try to ignore us.
“Despite a number of invites, these THREE people decided to ignore our requests and have now been dealt a substantial fine and a criminal record from the court.
As a Council we have a strong track record of taking action against environmental crime and will continue to investigate incidents and issue Fixed Penalty Notices where appropriate.
“Our teams work hard to keep our streets and back lanes clean, and fly-tipping of any kind will not be tolerated.”
“Through our new Keep it TIDY RCT campaign we're asking everybody to play their part. Whether it's recycling correctly, cleaning up after your dog, reporting fly-tipping, putting litter in the bin or helping us report full or damaged bins, we can all make a difference.
“We would also remind householders or businesses that if you pay someone, other than the Council, to take your waste away, you should always check they have a waste carrier licence and ask for a waste transfer note. If your waste is fly tipped, you could be fined along with the individual or company you paid to remove it.
"Removal of fly-tipping costs hundreds of thousands of pounds each year, which should be spent on key front-line services at a time when budgets are under significant pressures.
"We know that MOST residents across Rhondda Cynon Taf are proud of where they live and always do all that they can to keep our beautiful County Borough TIDY!
“Unfortunately, a small minority are still keeping our Enforcement Team, busy by fly-tipping waste or not cleaning up after their dogs – all these things blight our community and make it unsightly for the majority.
“Together we can keep our streets, parks and communities clean and TIDY!”
The Council has a weekly, unlimited, kerbside dry, food waste and nappy recycling service, and a number of community recycling centres that accept larger items, across the County Borough, so there's no excuse for fly-tipping, especially items that can be collected at the kerbside or recycled right here in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
You can check if a person or business has a waste carriers licence at National Resources Wales.
The message is simple:
Let's Keep it TIDY RCT.
For more information on the campaign or to report Fly-Tipping visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/KeepItTIDYRCT or follow RCT Council on Facebook and Instagram.
Posted on 22/10/2026