Lincolnshire man, 75, fined over £21k for storing waste illegally

A man from Crowland has been fined more than £21,000 for storing waste illegally after pleading guilty to operating a waste site without permission and allowing others to fly-tip there.

Raymond Wortley, 75, of The Streddars, Hundreds Road, accepted and stored waste illegally at his home without a permit. While some of the waste was burned, he also left his gate open which allowed fly-tippers to deposit other waste on his site.

Wortley was sentenced at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on May 24, 2022. He pleaded guilty to operating a waste facility without a permit and knowingly permitting others to deposit waste.

In mitigation, it was explained Wortley had misunderstood the scope of the regulations and had made efforts to comply. He had recently cleared the site and was in the process of making an application for planning permission.

He was fined £21,693.50 which included the avoided permit costs and financial benefit Wortley had gained by running the illegal site. He was ordered to pay a contribution to prosecution costs of £10,000 and a victim surcharge of £181.

A man from Lincolnshire stored waste illegally at his home without a permit. | Photo: Environment Agency

Waste including tree cuttings, plastics, treated wood and construction waste was kept on land at Wortley’s home between October 23, 2019 and June 2, 2021.

Officers visited the site in October 2019 after reports of material being burnt at the site. Smoke from the fire was so thick the officers were unable to see each other.

Metal sheeting, aerosols, ceramic pots and plastic were all found on the burn pile. At the time, Wortley only had permission to burn green waste produced at his site.

Surveillance was then carried out at the site during February 2020, and June to July 2020. Officers noted tipper trucks bringing waste to the site on numerous occasions during this time.

They were told by drivers a fee of £20 was being charged per load to bring waste to the site.

Smoke from the fire was so thick that the officers were unable to see each other. | Photo: Environment Agency

Wortley was told verbally and in writing on several occasions he was not allowed to run the site in the way he was doing. Despite this, he continued to do so.

Further visits were made to the site in July 2020. An attempt to regularise some of the activities had been made with the green waste now being shredded, but this still required a permit.

Additional visits were made in February 2021 and again in October last year. Despite further warnings telling him to stop, Wortley continued to operate from the site with mixed waste including carpets, plastic and household waste being found.

In, November 2021, the site was inspected via drone and found to still be operating as a waste transfer station without any permits.

Peter Stark, enforcement team leader at the Environment Agency, said: “We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will take the necessary action to disrupt criminal activity and prosecute those responsible.

“Wortley was advised to stop on numerous occasions but continued to disregard environmental law. He is now receiving the consequences of those actions.”

Members of the public can report waste crime report on 0800 807060. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.