Company director fined almost £8k for dumping waste

A Lincoln demolition company director has been ordered to pay almost £8,000 in fines for unlawfully dumping and burning waste.

John Trevor Thurlby, 73, of Forest Dene, Eagle Moor, Lincoln, was prosecuted by Lincolnshire County Council for the unlawful deposit of waste in contravention of a planning order.

Thurlby, who was a financial director of ART Demolition Ltd at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to the charge. He has since resigned from ART Demolition Ltd.

He was ordered to pay almost £8,000 in fines and costs by Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on January 31, 2019.

Thurlby was also given a Criminal Behaviour Order requiring him not to store, process or dispose of controlled waste on the field unless authorised by appropriate planning permission and permits.

The investigation

The investigation took place in 2017 and 2018 after county council planning officers received information that ART Demolition was carrying out unauthorised deposit and burning of waste materials at Forest Dene on Eagle Moor.

Officers visited the site and found an unauthorised deposit and storage of waste materials, as well as an area used for burning waste.

The council then served two Planning Contravention notices for the yard and the field. A Temporary Stop notice was also served to stop the dumping of any more waste in the field.

However, a subsequent visit, council officers found waste materials had once again been deposited in this field. This was in clear breach of the regulations.

The county council worked with the Environment Agency to ensure the waste was removed from the site.

Sending a strong message

Executive councillor for commercial and environmental management at Lincolnshire County Council, Eddy Poll, said: “I hope this case and its penalties send a strong message to others – if you breach planning rules, we will not tolerate it, we will hold you to account and we will prosecute you.”

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “This case demonstrates how serious illegal waste crime is. Waste crime damages the environment, endangers communities and undermines legitimate business and we work together with our enforcement partners e.g. the council, to take robust action against those who deliberately ignore the law to protect communities and the environment.”

Anyone with suspicions that waste is being deposited illegally on any land should contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”