Golf club finds 35 tonnes of waste dumped on its venue

The owners of a Kent golf club have had to pay nearly £6,000 to remove 35 tonnes of waste that had been fly-tipped by its entrance.

Rachel and Peter Appleyard arrived at Sittingbourne Golf Centre last week to find rubbish the size of an ‘articulated lorry’ on its land.

To make matters worse, the club is currently undergoing a major refurbishment project, and the waste disrupted an entire day of work, as it had been dumped by the entrance currently being used by construction workers.

Rachel, 41, told Kent Online: “It was a shock to turn up and have all of that there, disrupting an entire day’s work. We had to get it cleared straight away.

“If we hadn’t, it would have got wet and it would have been heavier, costing us even more money. It’s cost us £60 shy of £6,000 to have it cleared.

“It was all processed waste so it must have come through a licenced, commercial space at some point.

“It was the size of an articulated lorry – we had six eight-wheel tippers in to clear it.”

She added: “It wasn’t a small machine whatever it was that was tipping.

“I am absolutely disgusted. We are expected to clear it up and pay for it and there’s no comeback for the people who did it.

“We have to follow 100,000 rules, yet someone comes here and dumps rubbish. And even if they get caught, we won’t get a penny back.”

Local councillor Mike Whiting added: “It is really dreadful that some people think it is OK to dump tens of tonnes of rubbish on other people’s land. I have enormous sympathy for the landowners who must pay to have the fly-tipping removed and disposed of legally.

“The fly-tippers are committing an offence and those who use them to dispose of their own waste can also receive large fines.

“I urge anyone who employs a firm to take their rubbish away to check that firm is properly licensed and will dispose of the waste legally and safely.”

Sittingbourne Golf Centre has a new adventure golf course that is planned to open to the public next year, while the venue’s driving range is also being refurbished and extended. A children’s play area and two sports pitches are also being built.