A Lincolnshire man has been fined after he pleaded guilty to operating a waste site without permission and allowing others to fly-tip there.
The man accepted and stored waste illegally at his home without a permit. Some of the waste was burned and he left his gate open, allowing flytippers to deposit other waste on his site.
Between 23 October 2019 and 2 June 2021 waste including tree cuttings, plastics, treated wood and construction waste was kept on land at the man's home.
Environment Agency officers visited the site in October 2019 after reports of material being burnt at the site. Smoke from the fire was so thick that the officers were unable to see each other. Metal sheeting, aerosols, ceramic pots and plastic were all found on the burn pile, despite only having permission to burn green waste produced on site.
Surveillance was carried out at the site during February 2020 and June to July 2020. Officers noted tipper trucks bringing waste to the site on numerous occasions during this time. They were told by drivers that a fee of £20 was being charged per load to bring waste to the site.
The man was told orally and in writing on several occasions that he was not allowed to run the site in the way he was doing, but continued to do so. Further visits were made to the site in July 2020 where they noted an attempt to regularise some of the activities with the green waste now being shredded, but this still required a permit.
Additional visits were made in February and October 2021. Despite further warning telling him to stop, the man continued to operate from the site with mixed waste including carpets, plastic and household waste being found. In November 2021 the site was inspected by drone and found to still be operating as a waste transfer station without any permits.
On 24 May 2022 the man pleaded guilty to operating a waste facility without a permit contrary to the Environmental Permitting Regulations SI 2016/1154, and to knowingly permitting others to deposit waste contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
In mitigation it was explained that he had misunderstood the scope of the regulations and had made efforts to comply, including clearing the site and making an application for planning permission.
The man was fined £21,693.50 which included the avoided permitting costs and financial benefit he had gained by running the illegal site. He was ordered to pay a contribution to prosecution costs of £10,000 and a victim surcharge of £181.
Peter Stark, enforcement team leader, said: "We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will take the necessary action to disrupt criminal activity and prosecute those responsible".
