A man has been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, for operating an illegal waste site at Owens Road in Middlesbrough.
Martin Hindmarsh, 38, pleaded guilty at Teesside Magistrates’ Court to failing to clear an illegal waste site for the second time and operating another one in Middlesbrough.
He had previously pleaded guilty on 19 November 2024 to operating another illegal waste site in Middlesbrough during the investigation and prosecution in relation to the Tame Road site.
For the illegal waste site, he was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, with 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 250 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay costs of £7,506.60.
For the contempt of court, he was fined £5,000 and told he must clear the site or expect to be back before the court.
The Court heard that Hindmarsh, the director of B8 Waste Services Ltd – which was ultimately dissolved in October 2023 – started renting an industrial unit at Owens Road in December 2022.
In June 2023, the Environment Agency said both Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency received information about a large amount of waste on the site.
Officers from both organisations attended the site together and saw it filled with waste, including fridges and freezers, wood, metal, mattresses and gas canisters, all stored in one big pile causing a fire hazard.
Hindmarsh, who was on site, said he did not have an Environment Agency environmental permit, which is required to operate a waste facility.
He was given a notice that required him to stop operating the site with immediate effect and to remove all waste by 14 July 2023.
He was also asked for his waste transfer notes, which are a legally required document that records the movement of waste between one place and another.
On 14 July, the Environment Agency returned to the site to assess whether waste had been removed, and while the unit was shut, they found there was an increase in waste stored outside of the unit.
Hindmarsh has shown a complete disregard for the law in relation to both of the sites he has operated in Middlesbrough and we’re pleased this has been recognised by the court.
In July 2023, Hindmarsh and his other company, B8 Waste Management Limited, were fined and ordered to pay costs totalling almost £26,000 when they appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
Hindmarsh was ordered to clear the site of waste by 31 December 2023 and was also disqualified from being a company director for two years.
In July 2024, he appeared in court again where he admitted contempt of court for failing to clear the site by the deadline. He was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,750.
Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager for the North East, said: “We are determined to tackle waste crime that is blighting our communities and continue to take action against those involved.
“Hindmarsh has shown a complete disregard for the law in relation to both of the sites he has operated in Middlesbrough and we’re pleased this has been recognised by the court.
“Trying to bypass environmental laws for financial gain can ultimately end up being significantly more costly.”
