A woman who dumped nine bags of household waste outside the former Pwllfawatkin Civic Amenity site in Rhydyfro, Pontardawe and then failed to pay a fixed penalty, has been ordered to almost £600 in fines and costs by Swansea Magistrates.

Joanne Griffiths, 54, of Station Road, Upper Brynaman, was traced by a Neath Port Talbot Council waste enforcement officer following a complaint that bags of household waste had been left outside the perimeter of the Pwllfawatkin Civic Amenity Site on Baron Road, Rhydyfro last July.

When interviewed by Council officers, Mrs Griffiths admitting dumping the bags of waste and was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for illegally depositing controlled waste, an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The fixed penalty notice was for the sum of £400 but if payment had been received within 10 days a reduced amount of only £280 would have been payable.

Despite an extension of time being granted, Mrs Griffiths did not pay the fixed penalty. The matter then went before Swansea Magistrates’ Court on January 14th this year, where she pleaded guilty to illegally depositing controlled waste.

The defendant was ordered to pay a £64 fine, a £32 victim impact surcharge, plus costs of £500.48.

The court heard that when the waste was deposited, the Pwllfawatkin Civic Amenity site had closed its gates to the general public in favour of a joint Powys-Neath Port Talbot Council site based on the Powys border.

The Magistrates were also told that as the bags were placed outside the perimeter fence of the Pwllfawatkin site, they were not be covered by the Environmental Permit held there.

Cllr Ted Latham, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering said: “This latest case shows yet again this Council will not hesitate to prosecute those who damage the environment of our County Borough by illegally depositing waste.”