A woman who arranged for farm waste to be removed from her Amman Valley business has been ordered to pay more than £1,600 in fines, costs and compensation by Magistrates after the waste was found dumped in a lane.

Neath Port Talbot council officials found the waste blocking an access lane near the Tairgwaith Workingmen’s Club in February of this year.

Subsequently, Wendy Elizabeth Buckney-Morgan, 68, of Tanycoed, Clydach, Swansea admitted a breach of her duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. She failed to ask if those commissioned to take the waste away had a license to do so, or obtain any waste transfer documentation.

At Swansea Magistrates Court on November 19, she was fined £200, ordered to pay costs of £868.55, and a victim impact surcharge of £30. Mrs Buckney-Morgan was also ordered to pay compensation of £525.24 to cover the waste clear up costs.

Anyone who produces, imports, keeps, stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste must take all reasonable steps to ensure that waste is managed properly. This duty of care is imposed under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. It also applies to anyone who acts as a broker and has control of waste.

When interviewed by officers of the Council, Mrs Morgan admitted the waste found near the Tairgwaith Workingmen's Club had been transported from her business based at a farm in Swansea.

The Magistrates were also told of a Natural Resources Wales Environmental Permit check confirming the land where the waste was deposited was not subject to an Environmental Permit.

A Council spokesman said: “This latest case shows we will not hesitate to take action to protect our environment against fly tipping. We also warn that legislation places a duty of care on householders to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly which means people can be prosecuted for hiring others to dispose of waste illegally.”