An illegal waste site cleanup in Queensferry saddles Flintshire Council with a bill nearing £800,000.
However, the cost doubled because they found more waste than initially estimated. This became urgent after a fire in November threatened nearby families, residing in a legal traveller site.
The council planned to use reserve funds, hoping to recover the costs later through fines for those responsible prosecuted by Natural Resources Wales and the police. One councillor expressed concern about the cost, highlighting the low reserve funds available.
The council’s plan for cost recovery remains uncertain, especially with the actual cleanup cost exceeding expectations. This true cost was revealed in a report presented to a council committee.
The report detailed the increased expenses, explaining that there was more waste than initially calculated, requiring sorting, weighing, and proper disposal. The total cost is now estimated to be between £780,000 and £800,000.
This necessitates an additional £380,000 draw from a reserve fund. The council intends to recover these costs by seeking money from those prosecuted for the illegal dumping activity.
The manager clarified that this was an illegal activity. The site is now clear and secure, with boulders and concrete blocks preventing access, and fencing repairs are complete.
The site is checked weekly with the traveller team, and formal visits occur every two weeks. Monitoring is challenging due to the location’s remoteness and obscurity, requiring on-site personnel. The costs are accurate, as all lorries removing the waste were weighed.
One councillor inquired about recovering cleanup costs, specifically about fines issued. She acknowledged the difficulty of tracing culprits, to which officers offered no further details.
Neither the council nor Natural Resources Wales provided comments or details on the ongoing investigation. Spokespeople also refrained from clarifying cost recovery prospects.
Natural Resources Wales continues its investigation into the waste deposit. They will take appropriate action if they identify any offenses.
The council spokesperson stated that they can’t comment at this time due to the ongoing investigation, but assured that they will explore all avenues to recover costs.