Council leader defends tonnes of waste dumped by authority at Walsall Arboretum

The leader of Walsall Council has defended waste sprawled at the Arboretum as ‘not a case of flytipping or illegal dumping of waste’.

Councillor Mike Bird was quizzed on April 13 about ‘100 tonnes’ of ‘contaminated’ waste spread across a huge area of the beauty spot earlier this year.

As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Walsall Council dumped the material containing clothes, polypipes, glass and building rubble near to the Arboretum car park.

The authority said the ‘works’ formed part of the council’s efforts to ‘re-profile’ the site, to mitigate flooding and prepare for tree planting.

Local dog walker Karl Delmas said black liquid trickled from the waste into the nearby brook after rainfall.

The Environment Agency ordered the council to clear up the swathes of waste immediately after it was notified.

Robin Perry, Reform UK candidate in the May elections for the Harden, Goscote and Ryecroft ward, asked the leader whether any officers have lost their job over the major blunder.

He said: “Have any officers or members of staff that signed off this illegal dumping of contaminated waste, causing cost to the taxpayers, been reprimanded or fined under the flytipping powers that Walsall Council have, and has anybody lost a job over this?”

Councillor Bird responded: “It’s important to be clear this was not a case of flytipping or illegal dumping of waste on council land.

“The material originated from within the park itself and was used as part of planned operational activity.

“Once it was made clear the material did not meet the required standard, decisive action was taken to rectify the situation.

“With regards to disciplinary action, this matter has been addressed through our management process, with appropriate action taken so that there are no repeats and lessons are learnt.

“The council has been transparent throughout, has worked closely with the regulator and ensured the Arboretum has been fully remediated and made safe for the public.

“The council remains committed to making Walsall Arboretum a safe high-quality green space for residents and visitors, and ensures that all environmental works are carried out to the appropriate standard.”