Swansea’s Las Iguana’s restaurant fined for using a shopping trolley to store waste at rear of property

A popular city centre restaurant in Swansea has been fined for failing to dispose of its commercial waste properly.

Bosses at Las Iguana’s in the Castle Quarter recently found themselves in front of Swansea Magistrates where they pleaded guilty to three offences of breaching a notice served under the Environmental Protection Act.

All three offences relate to previous failures by the company to manage their commercial waste at the rear of their property.

During visits by Swansea Council Waste Enforcement Officers, stretching back to July 2021, officers observed piles of black bags and cardboard spilling out of commercial wheelie bins and in one incident, the company had been using an abandoned shopping trolley to store their waste.

On each occasion, managers at the premises were issued with £180 fixed penalty notices, which the company subsequently paid. However, on the third occasion it was felt that the company had ignored the requirements of the fixed penalty notice and were summoned to court.

The recent court proceedings resulted in the company being fined £750 for each offence, along with £334.50 costs and £900 in victim surcharges – totalling £3484.50.

Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Business in our city have a responsibly to manage their waste properly, particularly those that serve food.

“If they fail to do this and do not provide enough commercial waste bins, then they can end up attracting pests such as rats. This is unacceptable and is unfair on other businesses who are doing the right thing.

“The Council works hard to keep the city centre clean, sending in litter crews every day to deal with large amounts of litter and waste. We need businesses to work with us so that the city centre remains a welcoming and safe place for everyone.

“Hopefully, the latest action and financial penalties awarded against this company sends out a strong message to other businesses to ensure they get it right when managing their commercial waste.”

(Lead image: Swansea Council)