These are the scenes near Cardiff city centre as illegally dumped rubbish has piled up over the Christmas period. It is particularly bad on Ninian Park Road and Tudor Street, one of the main routes leading to the capital’s centre.
Bags of rubbish were dumped by people, often next to public bins, which were then torn into by animals. Furniture and waste was also dumped in a number of areas. Local residents have accused squatters of fly-tipping and leaving drug needles in the street where children play. Concerns have also been raised about the length of time between collections in the area because bin day in the two areas fell on Christmas Day and was therefore delayed at a time of year people have more rubbish to dispose of.
Shopkeepers in Tudor Street in Riverside say fly tipping and litter in general is “appalling”. Cardiff Council say they have a “comprehensive range of services in place for residents and businesses to dispose of their waste responsibly” and say there is “no excuse” for dumping rubbish.
Litter pictured outside Wings of Glory restaurant, Tudor Street, the owner says he has to put up with this on a weekly basis.
(Image: Richard Swingler)
After being shown the pictures, a spokesperson for Cardiff council, said: “These photos illustrate an attitude from a minority of individuals which results in fly tipping and littering – they cannot be seen as responsible attempts to present waste and recycling for collection.
“We have a comprehensive range of services in place for residents and businesses to dispose of their waste responsibly, including waste and recycling collections, bulky items collections, and our recycling centres.
Some of the rubbish that has been dumped on Ninian Park Road
(Image: Richard Swingler)
“There are no excuses for the type of behaviour that has resulted in the scenes captured in these photos, and the local authority would urge anyone witnessing these actions to report it.”
Local resident Richard Fairs, 56, who lives near Despenser Gardens, in Riverside. said: “Rubbish is a real issue in the area most of the time, but it has got particularly bad over the Christmas period. People appear to be just dumping bags of rubbish next to street bins and then the birds attack them and everything goes everywhere. It is a disgrace and a total eyesore.”
Another asked: “What is the matter with people throwing rubbish everywhere?”. While another said: “It is the public making the mess by dumping their own rubbish there.”
Rubbish that has built up in one of the drain gardens on Tudor Street
(Image: Richard Swingler)
Rubbish strewn streets
(Image: Richard Swingler)
A boarded up house with litter dumped outside
(Image: Richard Swingler)
The council has also said that a lot of the litter on the streets is “generated by individuals discarding it on the ground or by residents or businesses failing to present their waste for collection properly”.
They have said that red and blue recycling sacks scheme, which are set to be rolled out across the rest of the city next year, will reduce litter issues. The spokesman said: “One of the biggest causes of litter is from co-mingled recycling (green plastic bags) contaminated with food waste being torn open by birds or other animals scavenging for food.
A pile of rubbish bags that have been dumped at Ninian Park Road
(Image: Richard Swingler)
“Residents in areas now using the red and blue recycling sacks and blue caddies for glass have reported a significant reduction in litter issues following their introduction. This is because they promote higher quality recycling, with lower instances of food waste contamination. There will be further rollouts of this segregated recycling scheme into other areas of Cardiff over the coming months.
“Discarding litter on the ground is unacceptable, and we request that the public use the provided litter bins. All food waste intended for collection should be placed in a food waste caddy and should not be put in any other bag or container.”
These images were captured by our photographer on a short walk around the Riverside and Grangetown areas of the city
(Image: Richard Swingler)
Rubbish strewn all over the streets
(Image: Richard Swingler)
The council-run scheme ‘Love Where You Live’ involves lending equipment to volunteers to pick up the rubbish. “Through this community partnership, we aim to change public attitudes towards waste and litter issues. Dropping litter does not create jobs; rather, it makes parts of the city appear unkempt, which is completely unacceptable and unnecessary.” a spokesman said.
“If litter were not discarded on the ground and all waste was correctly presented for collection, there would be no need to spend millions of pounds on street cleaning operations. These funds could then be allocated to other essential public services. It is imperative that everyone takes responsibility for their own litter and disposes of it responsibly.”
The spokesperson for Cardiff council said: “Fly-tipping is entirely unnecessary. It harms the environment and creates significant costs to taxpayers each year.
“When hiring someone to remove waste, it is essential to verify that the company is registered to provide the service. Failure to do so may result in the customer facing prosecution. Businesses have a duty of care to dispose of their waste responsibly. Any business transporting waste must be licensed by Natural Resources Wales and must carry a Waste Transfer Notice indicating the origin of the waste and the licensed facility to which it is being transported.
“We regularly conduct patrols with partner organisations to check documentation from individuals transporting waste in their vehicles. The council employs several infrared cameras at fly-tipping hotspots throughout the city.
“Our message to those who continue to degrade the environment is clear: cease these activities immediately. If caught, you may receive a fixed penalty notice or face court action, potentially resulting in fines up to £50,000 or six months’ imprisonment, depending on the severity of the case.”
To report instances of fly-tipping, visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/flytipping or the Cardiff Gov app where a precise location can be given which will help with the investigation.