New task force to tackle illegal waste dumping and unauthorised settlements

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A new planning enforcement task force is being set up to tackle illegal waste dumping and unauthorised settlements amid concerns over a growing number of incidents.

Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire councils are planning to pool resources to strengthen enforcement across the three North Wales local authority areas.

The move was revealed by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Lead Member for Strategic Planning and Public Protection, Cllr Hugh Jones, following recent incidents involving waste dumping and the occupation of land by travellers in Coedpoeth.

Cllr Jones said the increasing number of cases involving waste being brought onto land without permission was proving a challenge for councils.

“We are not alone in North Wales,” he said. “Authorities all over are experiencing a significant number of incidents of importation of waste materials onto land.”

His comments come after a report to Wrexham’s Planning Committee revealed that the council was taking an average of 360 days to achieve positive enforcement action, compared with a national benchmark of 100 days.

Cllr Jones said Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire councils are due to meet to discuss pooling resources to establish the regional task force.

“We’re in the process of setting up a regional task force,” he said.

“We’re working with our two neighbouring authorities and we have a meeting next month.

“We have also brought in an additional enforcement officer and an additional lawyer and are advertising for a permanent enforcement lead.”

“Not every site is the same in terms of the legal requirements for enforcement so we work closely with Natural Resources Wales to determine which body is best to respond to that particular site.

“Each one is different and the law, the planning law in terms of enforcement is very complex. I wish it was more simple but it isn’t.”

Cllr Jones said that looking at situations like the one that is currently affecting the communities of Coedpoeth and Minera there are no simple solutions.

Currently there are two sites in the area. One on Nant Lais has been used as a waste dump before travellers moved on-site and now has an interim High Court injunction in place to stop unauthorised activity.

The other is on Castle Road where dumping continues despite an NRW stop notice being served. “People say, ‘why can’t you just go on the site and stop them’” said Cllr Jones.

“We physically can’t do that. We have to use the law. “If we put a stop notice down and that stop notice is breached we can go to the High Court for an injunction – but then we’re in the hands of the timing of the court for any subsequent action.

“People think local authorities are responding slowly, but it’s down to how quickly we can get something in front of the courts.”

Wrexham Council Chief Executive Alwyn Jones said it was clear that swift action was needed to tackle the issue.

“I attended the meeting in Coedpoeth onFriday,” he said. “Clearly we’ve got to work as hard as we can to operate as fast as we can.

“Hugh is right however, it is a complex system. There’s a commitment here to put more resources into enforcement because actually this is a growing challenge. That’s not making excuses, it’s recognition.

“It’s also important to say if we take the wrong step, we then pay for it at a later point in terms of court proceedings or legal proceedings. “There is a commitment here to try and strengthen what we’re doing.”

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