A 49-year-old man who operated an illegal waste site at Sunnyside, on Barnby Road, Balderton, Newark, has been fined £840 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,000 in a case heard at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
Tony Briggs-Price, of Barnby Road, Balderton, was successfully prosecuted by the Environment Agency for storing, treating and disposing of waste on land at his home on Barnby Road, Newark, without an environmental permit.
Briggs-Price had previously worked in the waste industry, and was familiar with the legal requirements associated with environmental regulation.
On visiting the site in November 2018, Environment Agency and Nottinghamshire Police officers found large piles of waste, including approximately 100t of construction and demolition waste; approximately 160t of general mixed-waste, including plastics and household waste; approximately 400t of soil; and approximately 1t of wood waste.
They also found evidence of the recent burning of waste on the site, including smoke from the waste site, scorch marks and ash on the ground; smouldering and scorched metal items; and blackened metal coils (consistent with burning of mattresses).
The defendant had ignored three separate invitations to attend an interview under caution in 2019.
Speaking after the case Robert Vickers, the investigating officer at the Environment Agency, said:
“We hope this case will send a clear message that we do not hesitate to take action to protect the environment and bring perpetrators to justice.
Briggs-Price operated the site without the required permit which, as well as undermining the regulatory regime, also had an impact on lawful waste operators.
“We are actively targeting illegal waste activities across the country and would urge all those seeking to become involved in the waste industry to ensure they have the appropriate permits and authorisations in place before commencing their operations.”
