A Caernarfon man has been ordered to pay more than £300 in fines and court costs in relation to an instance of fly-tipping back in December 2025.
In light of this, Cyngor Gwynedd is reminding the public that anyone who disposes of waste irresponsibly or illegally will face serious consequences.
During the Christmas period of 2025, Cyngor Gwynedd received a complaint about rubbish having been dumped at Llanbeblig cemetery, Caernarfon and the Council's Enforcement Service carried out an investigation.
This resulted in two people being issued with Fixed Penalty Notices, which is a fine. One was given a £150 fine for breaching the Duty of Care, which means asking someone who does not have a valid licence to transport waste on their behalf. The other was fined £180 for disposing of rubbish in an illegal manner and for failing to produce a permit to transport waste.
Then, on 26 July, one of the individuals was summoned to court as he had not paid the Fixed Penalty Notice. The man pleaded guilty to the offence, and was sentenced by the court to pay £368, which included costs.
Councillor June Jones, Cyngor Gwynedd Cabinet Member with responsibility for Street Services, said:
Fly-tipping, irresponsible disposal of waste and other environmental crimes cause significant harm to our communities and to the environment. This type of behaviour is not acceptable, and as has been seen in the Llanbeblig case, we will use all the powers at our disposal to take enforcement action, including the issuing of fixed penalty notices and, if necessary, to prosecute those responsible.
The recent case clearly shows that we will pursue those who fail to comply with the law, and that failure to pay a Fixed Penalty Notice will not mean that the matter is closed.
There is no excuse for throwing or dumping rubbish. Such actions make our areas look untidy, cause risks to public health, pollute the environment and harm wildlife.
I remind people that it is their responsibility to check whether someone who disposes of waste, or clears a house on their behalf, has a licence to do so. Most companies providing this type of service do so in a responsible and legal manner. But, as this case shows, there are people out there who are willing to dispose of waste in an irresponsible and heedless manner, and this could lead to serious consequences for you.”
Steven Edwards, Cyngor Gwynedd’s Street Enforcement Service Manager, added:
We are very grateful to members of the public who took the time to report these incidents. Remember, anyone can inform the Council about environmental crimes through the website or the apGwynedd app.”
There is lots of information to help people in Gwynedd to dispose of their waste responsibly and legally on the Cyngor Gwynedd website: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/recycling, including:
- Details of your waste collection day and what goes into which bin. There is no excuse for not using the regular service.
- Information about the local recycling centres and how to book a slot. This can be particularly useful if you’ve had a clear-out and have more waste than usual. Waste should be sorted before arriving at the recycling centre so that as mush as possible can be recycled.
- How to dispose of large items, for example a sofa or a freezer.
If you need to arrange a commercial / private house clearance service, you have a duty to ensure that they are registered and have a licence to undertake the work. A list of companies registered to transport waste is available on the Natural Resources Wales website: www.naturalresources.wales.