Mountains of waste have been dumped at a £10 million business park in Wales after a group of caravans set up camp on the undeveloped site and subsequently vacated it, leaving behind extensive refuse. Shocking images depict a dead-end road at Brocastle Business Park, near Bridgend, South Wales, littered with piles of garden waste, furniture, rubble, construction materials, and even a damaged caravan.
Packed black bin bags, bricks, wires, broken wood, and a dismantled armchair were among the rubbish strewn across the road, which is situated between the M4 and A48 motorways. Streetlights along the road were also damaged, with shards of glass scattered amid the debris.
A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, described the scene as a "zombie apocalypse," stating that the area was "left completely trashed" after between 30 and 50 caravans departed over the weekend. The resident noted that the site, which had been occupied by approximately 20 caravans regularly, appeared to have been used for building and garden work before the waste was abandoned.
Brocastle Business Park, also known as Brocastle Employment Park, was completed in November 2021 with the aim of providing an economic boost to the region. The Welsh Government invested £10 million into its development, with approximately £6.2 million coming from the European Regional Development Fund to stimulate employment opportunities. An additional £2 million was allocated to create an active travel route connecting it to the Waterton employment site.
Despite its completion, the site has remained largely empty. A Welsh Government spokesperson commented on the incident, stating, "Fly-tipping is a crime and is never justified under any circumstances. We continue to target those who chose to break the law and pollute our environment." The spokesperson added that the land at Brocastle Business Park had been subject to unauthorized occupation and that "steps to resecure and remove the waste from site are underway" following the occupants' departure.