The owners of a golfing venue have had to pay thousands of pounds to clear 35 tonnes of fly-tipped waste from their land.

Rachel and Peter Appleyard arrived at Sittingbourne Golf Centre in Church Road, Tonge, Tuesday morning to find the mound of rubbish at an entrance to its site currently being used by construction workers.

The venue’s driving range is being refurbished and extended, while new facilities are being added including an 18-hole adventure golf course, a children’s play area and two sports pitches.

Rachel, 41, said: “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.”

The Appleyards had to pay for the waste to be cleared because it was on their private land.

“I am absolutely disgusted,” Rachel said. “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.”

Cllr Mike Whiting (Con), who represents the Teynham and Lynsted ward, which covers Tonge, said: “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.”

The golf course and foot golf have reopened at the Sittingbourne Golf Centre under the latest Tier 3 restrictions.

Its new adventure golf course is planned to open to the public early next year, while the revamped driving range is set for 2021.

For more, visit sittingbournegolfcentre.co.uk.

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