Andrew Ranger MP has received significant numbers of concerns from residents and shared this response.

“The current situation in Coedpoeth and Minera brings into sharp focus the deficiencies in our planning system and current legislation on the dumping of illegal waste. In Wales these matters are devolved but as the Member of Parliament, I have been supporting local residents in Coedpoeth since July and working to engage with Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) who have the enforcement powers to act. I have also been working with Ken Skates MS to get answers from the Welsh Government.

Communication with residents has been important here and I have written to those with properties near the site to explain what action is being taken and also where responsibility for enforcement lies on several occasions.

Here in Wrexham, we have seen that despite WCBC using the powers at their disposal to place a Temporary Stop Notice (TSN) on sites like the one near Castle Road in Coedpoeth, this has not stopped lorry loads of waste from continuing to dump their contents on the site.

Similarly, another site on Smelt Road where hedgerows and trees have been removed despite a TSN being in place, now has 11 caravans on site.

Both WCBC and NRW can take further action: for example, if NRW find that what is being dumped on a site does not satisfy ‘End of Waste’ criteria, it can serve notice that the contents must be removed within a certain time frame or court action will be taken.

However, what lies at the heart of these issues around planning and illegal dumping of waste is that residents and taxpayers are too often the ones who foot the bill rather than the polluter or the perpetrator.

It also reflects a planning system that isn’t working. Just this week, Wrexham has seen moves towards a fourth McDonalds site in the city, with objections from the Health Board, myself as the MP for Wrexham and residents seemingly having little effect.

Online, people appear unhappy with the prospect, but these feelings have not been translated into objections sent into WCBC’s planning department. Questions should be asked about why people are not getting involved but also why concerns are not being listened to.

In England, the Prime Minister has recently announced new measures to crack down on illegal waste dumping including better use of drones, a bigger role for the police and the National Crime Agency, and steeper fines along with the creation of a Waste Crime Crackdown Group.

Here in Wales, illegal dumping is enforced by local authorities and I have had queries from residents about what the police can do. However, as this is a civil matter rather than a criminal one then the police can increase patrols as they have done in Coedpoeth but beyond that they do not have the powers to act.

Ultimately, here in Wales, we need planning reform that puts consultation and public engagement at the heart of the process and not an afterthought or a box ticking exercise that serves no other purpose than to undermine public confidence.

Enforcement measures that actually have an effect would also improve public perception. Local Authorities and Government bodies like NRW have limited resources due to decades of cuts and underinvestment. Addressing these issues is not easy however the net gains in terms of reducing appeal costs and court action would surely reap dividends.

A rewire of the planning system so that it appears less like a foregone conclusion that an application will be approved would also inspire greater public confidence. The Plaid Cymru Welsh Government need to act and act quickly to stop more sites appearing in our villages.”