A Cornishman must repay over £89,000 after receiving a 3-month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, for running an illegal waste site.
An investigation found over 10,000 tonnes of household, demolition and hazardous waste, including asbestos, on land owned by Martin Harvey.
The court heard that Harvey also deposited waste and filled in a wooded valley and a watercourse to create flattened areas on the land, which he then intended to develop. There was no Environmental Permit for the site, which would allow the legal deposit of waste.
There were also no planning permissions in place for any construction necessitating the waste importation.
During regular Environment Agency inspections of the site from February to July 2023, Harvey was advised that he was operating illegally, had no planning permission for the development works, and that all waste importation should cease immediately.
At one of the site inspections in April 2023, Environment Agency officers noted waste, including tyres, being illegally burned in what appeared to be a homemade incinerator.
Harvey pleaded guilty to four offences at Truro Crown Court and received a 3-month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, and was ordered to pay full costs of £16,653.99 within one year.
Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Harvey was ordered to pay back £72,500 he made from operating his illegal waste business by 9 January 2026 or face three months in prison.
Sally Turberville of the Environment Agency commented: “Waste criminals should be aware how seriously we take their offending, including the financial benefit they obtain from their illegal activities.
“Offenders like Harvey simply won’t get away with concealing information or their assets. Waste crime can be a blight on the environment, communities and to legitimate businesses.”