Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team have successfully carried out a massive, complex, and highly dangerous clean-up operation that has cleared a notorious “river of rubbish” from the steep slopes of the Bwlch Mountain.
The risky joint operation had been in planning for months and the Council had to investigate the dumped items to determine if the contents were hazardous to ensure the safety of the operatives clearing the waste. Once they knew what they were dealing with, the team knew that the operation would require the perfect weather window aligned with a specialised technical partnership that could operate expert rope rescue systems and heavy-duty extraction equipment to ensure that the fly-tipped items could be removed safely.
The fly-tipping along the Bwlch—a known Welsh beauty spot world-renowned for its breathtaking panoramic views—gained widespread attention back in January after being highlighted by popular travel blogger Nathan Dixon. His viral footage showed how the landscape had been blighted by an unprecedented amount of illegally dumped waste. Multiple loads of commercial and household debris—including tyres, plasterboard, cement bags, household white goods, and tonnes of loose refuse—had been deliberately tipped over a layby, spilling hundreds of feet down a sheer, near-vertical hillside.
Over the last few months there have also been reports of people, scaling the dangerous slopes of the site to ‘burn’ evidence, which could potentially have an even bigger implication for local wildlife and the environment.
The waste, which was dumped onto private farmland, left local farmer Katie Davies facing an impossible situation. Legally, the financial burden of clearing fly-tipped waste on private property falls entirely on the landowner. However, given the treacherous, vertical drop of the land, a standard agricultural clean-up was a physically impossible for Katie. Recognising the exceptional danger and scale of the site highlighted by Mr. Dixon, RCT Council stepped in to help coordinate a specialist tactical intervention.
To reclaim the landscape, the volunteer-led Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team (CBMRT) also stepped forward, offering their highly technical skills to aid the Council and the landowner. Specially trained rescue personnel put together a complex rigging system, utilising mountain rescue stretchers, hauling lines, and mechanical advantages to pull tonnes of scattered debris up the steep cliff face piece by piece.
Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, which includes Waste and Recycling, Councillor Ann Crimmings said:
“The Bwlch Mountain is home to some of our most beautiful countryside, and it is completely unacceptable that a minority treat it as a personal dumping ground. We are grateful to travel bloggers like Nathan Dixon for bringing the stark reality of this site to wider public attention.
“This operation has been months in the planning. We had to wait for the correct, safe weather conditions and, crucially, the right technical partnership with specialist rescue volunteers just to safely get this waste off the mountain – I would like to thank the exceptional team at Central Beacons Mountain Rescue for their amazing work this weekend. The manpower, coordination, and cost involved in an operation like this are immense. It also places an unfair, burden on our local farming community—people like Katie Davies, who shouldn’t have to face the huge costs of securing specialist mountain teams to clear land they are simply trying to farm.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated in RCT. There is NEVER an excuse to blight our mountains, towns, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account.
“The lazy actions of the minority ultimately affect us all. That is why we will continue to use ALL the powers available to us to hold those accountable for their actions. Many recovered items could have been taken to a Community Recycling Centre or collected from the kerbside at no extra cost.”
Pete Spearing at Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, added:
“While our primary mission is saving lives through search and rescue, the sheer volume of waste dumped down this steep, treacherous incline presented a severe hazard to the public, local livestock, and the environment.
“As a team, we spend thousands of hours each year in the mountains and valleys of South Wales, so protecting these landscapes is something we care deeply about. When we saw the scale of the damage caused by this fly-tipping, we wanted to help. The operation required highly technical rope rescue systems, specialist equipment and a huge volunteer effort to safely recover the waste from the steep hillside. It’s disappointing that such a significant amount of rubbish was dumped in such a beautiful place, but we’re proud to have played a part in helping restore it. As a charity that relies almost entirely on public donations, we hope this work highlights both the dedication of our volunteers and the importance of supporting mountain rescue.”
In recognition of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team team’s extraordinary volunteer effort to protect the local environment, a dedicated fundraising page has been highlighted for members of the public who wish to support the rescue team’s vital work. Donations can be made directly via their official channel – www.justgiving.com/campaign/bwlchcleanup
As a Council we make it seriously EASY to recycle with a weekly, unlimited, kerbside dry, food waste, green waste recycling and nappy service and many community recycling centres across the County Borough. There’s no excuse for fly-tipping in our County Borough, especially items that can be collected at the kerbside or recycled right here in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Council’s Streetcare Enforcement Team is now actively reviewing ALL evidence recovered from the site. RCT Council remains one of the leading authorities in Wales for environmental enforcement, accounting for more than a quarter of all successful fly-tipping court prosecutions across Wales over the last year.
The Council will also continue to utilise covert CCTV cameras and regular enforcement patrols across mountain routes to catch perpetrators red-handed.
We all have a duty of care to control our waste and ensure it is disposed of legally. Please remember that if you give your waste to someone who later illegally fly-tips it, you could face a minimum £300 fine. You can check if a person or business has a waste carriers licence at National Resources Wales.
If you witness fly-tipping or have information regarding illegal dumping on the Bwlch Mountain please to report it immediately at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/reportit.
For more information on Recycling and Community Recycling Centres in RCT follow the Council on Facebook/Instagram or visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/recycling
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