Letters have gone out to self catering accommodation, holiday lets and businesses in the seaside village of Saundersfoot reminding owners that they are required by law to have appropriate arrangements in place for their waste and recycling.
County councillor for the south ward Cllr Chris Williams has been making moves over the past few months with Pembrokeshire County Council to tackle illegal waste disposal around the village, and in particular those that leave a holiday property and wrongfully leave their rubbish in or around public bins.
Cllr Williams said that he and fellow Saundersfoot county councillor Alec Cormack have been very proactive with the work surrounding the compliance with businesses and holiday lets’ duty of care and the requirements associated with the workplace recycling regulations that are coming into force in April 2024.
A list of properties included in a trial to clampdown on the issue has been prepared by PCC’s Revenue and Council Tax team and this will include all businesses paying NNDR rates registered as self-catering accommodation providers and all properties paying the second home premium, which equates to approximately 500 properties in the Saundersfoot area.
“This is the first stage of the process, the second phase will focus on education to all businesses and second homes in 2024 through direct communications, via the website and social media,” explained Cllr Williams.
“The letter briefly detailed that all businesses, self catering accommodation and holiday lets are required by law to have appropriate arrangements in place for their waste and recycling.
“If you use your property as a business, either letting it out as a holiday home, self catering accommodation or running a guesthouse, you must have commercial waste and recycling arrangements in place.
“The Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 state that holiday lets and self-catering accommodation are not permitted to use the local Council’s domestic waste and recycling collection service.
“This is because waste from a property used in the course of a business (including any ‘Domestic property used in the course of a business for the provision of self-catering accommodation’) is classed as commercial waste.
“You are therefore required to have a commercial waste contract.
“This applies whether or not your property is registered for payment of non-domestic/business rates, council tax or council tax premium.
“This does not include the waste and recycling produced when these properties are used as a main residence or second home, which are eligible for the standard domestic waste and recycling collections service free of charge from PCC,” he added.
For more information go to www.gov.wales/workplace-recycling
What are my responsibilities as a business owner?
All businesses including holiday lets are required by law to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place for all waste generated, to be stored, transferred and disposed of correctly and safely, without harming the environment.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 states all businesses have a duty of care for the waste generated from the business.
The duty of care requires the business to ensure – All waste is kept safely and securely in a suitable container; whoever you give your waste to, has the authority to take it i.e. a registered waste carrier. When your waste is transferred, a waste transfer note must accompany it. Waste transfer notes must be kept for 2 years and be made available to an authorised officer from PCC or NRW upon request. If you dispose of your waste yourself, you must use a licensed facility such as PCC’s Waste and Recycling Centres under a commercial booking. You must be registered as a waste carrier with Natural Resources Wales to transport your waste.
Is my waste covered by rates?
Regardless whether you pay a second home premium, or business rates on your home, whilst your property is being let out as a holiday let, the waste and recycling produced by your guests is commercial waste. The collection of waste from a business is not covered in your rates.
What am I not allowed to do with my business waste?
You are NOT allowed to: Take your business waste home with you and put it in your household bin; take your business waste to a Waste and Recycling Centre disguised as household waste; place your business waste in any public litter bin or public recycling bank.
For more information go to www.gov.wales/workplace-recycling