Landowners breach environmental legislation by 'keeping waste on their land'

Landowners who keep controlled waste on their land could be violating environmental legislation if they do not have an exemption or permit, according to officials.

The comments of Robin Duffy, a representative for the Environment Agency, an executive non-departmental public body responsible to the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, follow the prosecution of an agricultural contractor who tipped waste including asbestos on to land at Holsworthy, Devon.

"This defendant continued to import waste including potentially hazardous materials such as asbestos despite being told to stop by the agency," Mr Duffy said.

Roger Stanbury, who was ordered to pay £3,412 in fines and costs, claimed the reason he was tipping waste from a local viaduct site was to increase the land level.

Despite being informed by Devon County Council last October that he would not be given planning permission to tip material on to the site and burn waste, the authorities returned in January to find that newly deposited asbestos sheets had been dumped.



Written by Lauren Steadman