Jailed for years of illegal tipping (From Penarth Times)

Jailed for years of illegal tipping

A LLANDOUGH man, who over a number of years, illegally tipped large quantities of waste material on his land, has been given a three month prison sentence at the High Court in Cardiff.

In action brought by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Keith Young, trading as A@A Contractors (Cardiff) Ltd, was found guilty of contempt of court in failing to comply with the terms of a Consent Order of August, 2001.

He was further ordered to pay £1,600 costs.

The Consent Order required the cessation of the use of Mr Young's site at Leckwith Yard, Cardiff, for the burning of materials and the removal of tipped material including soil, clay, bricks, stone, timber, plastics, builders' rubble and hardcore.

Outlining the council's case, Mohammed Yakub said the authority had been involved with breaches of planning control in respect of tipping and excavations at the site going back to July, 2001.

The council considered that any extension of tipping activities at the location and on to authority-owned land was totally unacceptable.

Injunctions had been sought, he said, because the unauthorised development had resulted in the clearance of a large area of mature deciduous woodland and continued tipping could only result in further damage.

"The site forms an important backcloth to Cardiff and the Vale," said Mr Yakub.

"This highly prominent piece of land is clearly visible from a major arterial route into the city and it is felt the environmental scarring will be highly significant for a number of years."

Mr Yakub said that, since the granting of the Consent Order, Mr Young, of Spencer Drive, had been reminded on four occasions of what actions needed to be taken.

There had also been three previous court hearings.

Mr Milwyn Jarman, QC, for the Vale, told the court that Mr Young had had ample opportunity to comply.

"We feel we have come to the end of the road and to the point where Mr Young should be committed to prison," he added.

Barrister Graham Walters, representing Mr Young, said his client had taken some steps to try and comply with the order.

Full compliance had not been achieved due to a lack of resources.