Flintshire Council’s illegal dump clearance costs have doubled to £800,000 due to unforeseen waste volume after big fire.
Now, the clean-up will actually cost double that amount. Turns out, way more waste exists than they first thought. They made clearing it a hurry after a big fire, as families in a nearby traveler site were at risk.
The council planned to use reserve funds for the job and hoped to get the money back. A fine would be issued to those at fault, and Natural Resources Wales and the police are handling the investigation.
One council member worried about using so much money and wasn’t sure they’d get it back, especially as Audit Wales flagged their low reserve funds earlier. Clawing back the money seems even harder now.
Officers told the committee the real cost of the clean-up. The waste volume was much higher than expected, they said. All waste must be sorted and taken to licensed sites. The total is about £780,000 to £800,000 now.
They want to use another £380,000 from reserves and again, they aim to recover costs from those responsible. The site is now clear, secure, and blocked off, and they are doing regular checks now. It’s a hard place to monitor.
A council member asked if anyone has been fined yet. Officers didn’t give more details on that topic, and no one offered updates after the meeting. The investigation is ongoing right now.
Natural Resources Wales is investigating the illegal waste, and they will take action if they find any crimes. The council said they will try hard to recover all costs, but they can’t comment more at this time.