Man fined after remains of cannabis farm found dumped in Port Talbot forest
The remnants were found on land in Port Talbot's Afan Valley. Peter Darmanin, 50, from Caerphilly, was ordered to pay costs totalling nearly 拢2,000.
Wednesday 11 October 2023 15:43, UK
A man has been fined after the remnants of a cannabis farm were found dumped in a forest.
Peter Darmanin, from Caerphilly, was ordered to pay costs totalling nearly £2,000 after the deposit was found on Natural Resources Wales land near Blaengwynfi in Port Talbot's Afan Valley.
The 50-year-old told Neath Port Talbot Council's waste enforcement officers that he arranged for the waste to be moved from a house in Blaengwynfi by another business.
He pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates' Court to an offence relating to the disposal of waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
The waste from the property, of which he was the landlord, included plastic bags and pots of soil.
He said he used a contractor to arrange for the waste to be removed by the waste removal company.
The council said the company could not be traced.
Enforcement officers were also told Mr Darmanin had not contacted the company directly to make sure it had a waste carrier licence.
He was sentenced to a fine of £800, prosecution costs of £793.91 and a victim surcharge of £320.
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Councillor Scott Jones, a cabinet member on Neath Port Talbot Council, said it had a "zero-tolerance approach" to environmental protection offences.
"We are committed to ridding our communities of this anti-social behaviour and I urge anyone who is paying someone to remove waste to check that person is fully licensed and registered to do so because the consequences could be a heavy fine and costs as in this case."
James Roseblade, senior land management officer at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), said it had assisted South Wales Police and Neath Port Talbot Council with their investigation.
"Natural Resources Wales is pleased there has been a successful outcome through the courts regarding this flytipping incident," he added.
"Upon discovery of the significant amount of rubbish from an old cannabis farm that was dumped on NRW-managed land, we arranged for removal of the waste at significant cost."