Two Llanelli councillors have called for the chair of Natural Resources Wales to resign over the regulator’s handling of the town’s fly infestation.
Sean Rees and Louvain Roberts are the independent county councillors for Glanymor — the Llanelli ward covering the Seaside area at the centre of the infestation. They made the call after NRW confirmed the AMG Resources site as the source and ordered a 21-day clean-up.
The pair point to what they describe as a “significant reversal” by the regulator: they say NRW told BBC Wales on 7 July that it did not believe the AMG site was the source — before its own investigations later identified the site as responsible.
In a joint statement, the councillors said: “Llanelli residents have endured weeks of unacceptable disruption and awful conditions, with homes, businesses, schools and community facilities all affected by another fly infestation.
“This crisis has affected everyone in our community — from our young people to our elderly residents, from working people to disabled residents and those living with other medical conditions who continue to need support.
“Yet, in an interview with BBC Wales on 7 July, Natural Resources Wales said it did not believe the AMG Resources site was the source of the infestation, while the company itself maintained that it had appropriate pest control measures in place. NRW has now confirmed that its own investigations identified the AMG Resources site as the source of the recent increase in fly activity. Such a significant reversal raises serious questions about NRW’s handling of the incident and public confidence in its leadership.
“When an organisation entrusted with protecting our environment gets something as significant as this so badly wrong, accountability must start at the top. We are therefore calling on the Chair of Natural Resources Wales to resign.”
The councillors also said residents and businesses who have suffered financial loss “through no fault of their own” should receive compensation, adding: “Our community deserves answers, accountability and the assurance that this can never happen again.”
The councillors did not name the chair in their statement. The role has been held since November by Neil Sachdev, who was appointed by the Welsh Government to succeed Sir David Henshaw — meaning the resignation call lands less than nine months into his term.
It would not be the first time an NRW chair has stood down under pressure: Diane McCrea resigned in 2018 after the regulator’s accounts were qualified by auditors for a third time.
NRW served AMG Resources with a notice last week requiring action within 21 days, after weeks in which swarms of flies plagued homes, pubs and businesses in the Seaside area — a problem residents say has returned every summer since it was first reported in 2018. Two other sites were investigated and cleared before the source was found.
The councillors paid tribute to the “dedication and hard work” of officers, schools, community organisations and residents throughout the incident — but stressed that responsibility for regulating the permitted site “rests with Natural Resources Wales”.
They pledged to continue pressing AMG Resources, NRW and the Welsh Government “until the infestation is fully resolved, those responsible are held to account, and effective safeguards are put in place to prevent any recurrence”.
Natural Resources Wales has been approached for comment.
Correction: an earlier version of this article included aerial images that incorrectly showed a site in Bynea. They were removed on 22 July 2026 and replaced with images of the AMG Resources site.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Flies traced to AMG Resources site as regulator orders 21-day clean-up
NRW confirmed the source and served the company with notice last week.
Two sites cleared in Seaside fly investigation — but source still not found
The hunt for the source as it stood in mid-July.
‘Like a plague’ — flies swarm Seaside homes and pubs as shops sell out of spray
How residents and businesses described weeks living with the swarms.
Discover more from Swansea Bay News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
