An investigation by Tewkesbury Borough Council’s environmental health officers has resulted in a successful prosecution for fly tipping and burning.
The case was taken to Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 10 February, where Mr James Staniland, from Gloucester, pleaded guilty to disposing of controlled waste by burning on land in Badgeworth. He was found to have burnt waste on several occasions throughout 2020.
In determining the degree of culpability, the magistrates concluded that the defendant had acted recklessly, and assessed the level of harm as category 3, which includes incidents that have ‘minor’ adverse effects on the environment or human health but carry the risk of causing ‘significant’ harm.
Mr Staniland was fined £320, reduced from £480 as a result of his guilty plea. He was also ordered by the court to pay the council £250 in costs and a £32 victim surcharge, resulting in a total fine of £602.
Councillor Jim Mason, lead member for clean and green environment, said: “This successful prosecution shows that the council will not tolerate illegal waste disposal and we will not hesitate to prosecute those who disregard the regulations. This was not a one-off lapse in judgement – the culprit was found to have dumped and burnt waste on several occasions, with implications for environmental damage and a potential health hazard.
“Our environmental health officers work tirelessly to investigate instances of environmental crime and I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for a job well done.”
Householders and businesses are required to dispose of their waste responsibly. Information on how to dispose of waste appropriately is available at: https://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/waste-aware
