An estate in Cardiff is quickly becoming a fly tipping dump leaving residents at their wits’ end. One woman said the mountain of rubbish on the green directly in front of her home was moving her to tears.
People living at Williton Road in Llanrumney say that earlier this week mounds of rubbish started to form on the field between the homes on the estate. Resident Craig Hobbs said each year the locals have two bonfires on the green at either end of the large open space.
But this year Craig and others say people from outside of Llanrumney have “seen an opportunity” to start dumping on one of the mounds. It’s resulted in a dangerous mess with the fire service already visiting to put one fire out, they say.
“It’s absolutely disgusting,” Craig shouts, while drivers pass by shaking their heads and gawking at the sight. “We have fires every year at bonfire night with fireworks, but they are controlled. It’s lovely, the families pull the sofas out of their homes and we sit and enjoy the bonfire.”
“Unbelievable, disgusting,” his relative shouts as she walks by. “I wouldn’t even go on there now with the grandkids because you wouldn’t know what’s in there.”
“Me and my mate Dave spent five hours on Wednesday clearing one of the bonfires up to make it look nice, but this one has got out of control now," Craig continued. "They are dumping it with no thought of how dangerous it is. There are loads of kids around here and that’s a danger."
Pointing to his own bonfire a short walk away on the green, Craig explains: "Look at mine. It looks like a bonfire doesn’t it? It’s good, it’s all wood and good material. But this one has just got black bags, all sorts of rubbish. That’s a hazard that is [pointing at the mess in the opposite direction]. I have five kids and I wouldn’t let them go anywhere near it.”
Within the heap of rubble is a sofa between two planks of wood, with a pouffe in front of it. “It looks like someone has set up a little seating area,” a man who has come to pick some wood says. “I’ve just come to pick up some stuff. It’s good wood they’re chucking away.”
“Look at all the toys here,” he says, pointing to a scooter and a teddy. “They could be given to a single mother. They could go to charity. It’s such a lazy waste.”
Stella Regan has lived on the estate for 10 years and says she’s “never seen anything like it”. Her home looks right out onto the field, and she says she is growing angrier about what she is having to put up with.
“It’s absolutely enormous and dangerous,” she said. “A man drove up in his car as I was coming back with my dog and dumped it,” she said, referring to the closest fly tipped furniture to her home.
“I came out of my house earlier on with my husband and I saw another person dump a carpet on it. So I had a go at him. I won’t tell you what he called me. Suffice to say he was really obnoxious.
“I told him this is my home and you can’t do that, but he wasn’t taking any notice. Year on year this has got worse and worse and now it’s just awful to have to put up with.
“We’ve never objected to any bonfires, but the last five years it has gotten totally out of control. We had the fire brigade the night before last because someone started the fire there. They’re going to have to remove it, it’s far too close to my house.”
Another resident, who has lived on the estate for 60 years and preferred not to be named, added: “We’ve accepted the bonfires every year, but this is something else. I’ve seen vans pulling up and tipping washing machines, doors, fences, you name it.
“I’ve had people come up to me and encourage me to chuck my rubbish there. I’ve told them that it’s against the law. It’s beyond belief and it’s a danger to people. I’ve said to my kids, they’re not building a bonfire - they’re building a huge wall.”
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “We adopt a zero tolerance approach to anyone caught fly tipping, and our Waste Enforcement team investigates all reports of fly-tipping to try and identify those responsible.
“Fly-tipping is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of up to £50,000. Very serious offences could result in a fine plus up to five years in prison. A Court may also order an offender to pay costs for all removal undertaken by the Council.
“If anyone spots fly-tipping, the most effective way of reporting it to us, is via our website (www.cardiff.gov.uk/flytipping), or via our Cardiff Gov app. That way, we will have an exact location and all the information necessary to investigate.”
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