Pictures have shown the incredible transformation of an abandoned road which has been cleared of rubbish after more than 20 years of campaigning.
The abandoned stretch of dual carriageway off the A48 in Coedkernew, Newport, has has seen huge amounts of illegal dumping in the past 20 years.
The level of fly-tipping there has led it to be dubbed the 'road to nowhere' and even saw it featured on national TV.
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But it was announced earlier this month that the road was finally set to be cleared after Newport City Council awarded a contract to Newport-based GD Environmental to carry out clearing work following campaigning by locals and litter groups.
And pictures taken this week show the massive scale of the clear-up operation on the site, which looks a world away from how it used to.
Originally built as part of the development of the area surrounding the former LG site, the road has been disused since the mid-2000s when the factory closed and has become a hotspot for mass fly-tipping since.
A clean-up organised by local group Friends of the Road to Nature will take place on October 30 at 10am to remove some smaller pieces of rubbish and begin examining how they could transform the area.
Caroline Antoniou, a resident and campaigner with the group, said it hoped to bring the road back into community use and "extend the living levels and make it a place of nature" used by locals and dog walkers.
Councillor Roger Jeavons, council cabinet member for city services, said: “It is sad that we had to undertake this work because of the selfishness and irresponsibility of fly-tippers.
“However now that the road has been cleared we will continue to use CCTV to monitor it and will take measure to deal with anyone who deposits waste at this location. Previous enforcement action has included fixed penalty notices, prosecutions, and seizure of vehicles.
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“We will support local groups who have ‘adopted’ the area and, together with partners, will support the development of a sustainable biodiversity project to bring back the natural beauty and wildlife habitats.
“I would remind residents that if they employ someone to dispose of their waste they have a legal responsibility to ensure that person or company are registered as a waste carrier.
“We will continue to operate a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone who fly-tips anywhere in the city and we will take action against them if we have the evidence.”
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