A waste operator and farmland owner have been ordered to pay a combined £36,000 over the illegal burning of waste at a farm near Newark. Samual Hussan, of Beaver Cotes Close in Newark, used Corner Farm in Farndon to burn waste without a permit in 2018.
The 61-year-old told officers from the Environment Agency he had been paid £50 per tonne for the waste and that there were 300 tonnes of bales on the site - working out at £15,000. The farm's owner, Frederick Hardy, admitted he had knowingly permitted the operation without the necessary environmental permit.
Officers discovered waste on the site included road plainings, wood, construction and demolition waste. There were also at least 1,000 bales of waste which contained carpets, duvets and mattresses.
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Nottingham Magistrates' Court was told that it was estimated that Hardy, 75, had subsequently cleared the site at a cost in excess of £64,000 and removed the waste to landfill. Hussan originally denied burning waste on the site and said the majority of his activities had involved the grading of wood, believing that exemptions from an existing environmental permit covered his activities.
Hardy admitted he had allowed Hussan to use the site and that he was aware of waste being burned, organising access to the site from neighbouring land and for the construction of a weighbridge. He was fined £2,666 and ordered to pay costs of £18,236.79 and a victim surcharge of £170.
Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, April 27, Hassan received a 20-week prison sentence suspended for two years, a 12-week curfew from 8pm-6am, was ordered to pay costs of £18,236.20 and a victim surcharge of £115. In addition, he was disqualified from being a director for five years.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We hope this case will send a clear message that we do not hesitate to take action to protect the environment and bring perpetrators to justice. These people operated the site without the required permit which, as well as undermining the regulatory regime, also had an impact on lawful waste operators.
“We are actively targeting illegal waste activities across the country and would urge all those seeking to become involved in the waste industry to ensure they have the appropriate permits and authorisations in place before commencing their operations.”
