A County Durham man has been sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs for repeatedly storing and burning waste.
Christopher Williams, 64, appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 18 April where he pleaded guilty to two charges of operating an illegal waste site and one of not complying with an EA notice to provide information about waste disposal.
Prosecuting on behalf of the EA, Chris Bunting told the court that Williams dumped and burnt waste on a smallholding at School House Farm in Kiln Pitt Hill, near the A68 and Derwent Reservoir.
The land was not authorised for any waste activities and the court heard that it would be very unlikely that a waste operation would be allowed at that location.
Williams operates an organisation known as the LCA Community Charity, which provides help to people, schools and other charities with clothing and furniture, and offers house and shop clearance services. However, the court heard that Williams regularly dumped and burned residual waste from these activities at the smallholding.
The court was told that Williams had twice been convicted in the past 9 years for similar offences involving burning waste. Magistrates decided that although a custodial sentence was inevitable, it could be suspended on account of the guilty pleas and testimonials from people who had been supported by donations.
Our officers repeatedly told Williams to stop burning waste and clear it from the land but he deliberately disregarded their advice and the law.
Andrew Turner, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, commented: “Environmental permits are in place for the protection of the public and environment and waste crime such as this – burning waste like plastics and treated wood that produces a toxic smoke – can be extremely damaging.
“Our officers repeatedly told Williams to stop burning waste and clear it from the land but he deliberately disregarded their advice and the law. We take all waste crime seriously and I hope this sentence sends out a message to others that we will take tough action against those who flout the rules.”