ENVIRONMENTAL COURT REPORT

摘要

CONRAD NEIL ARNOLD recently pleaded guilty to four offences and Malvern company WOODSTOCK UK LTD were found guilty of two charges relating to the illegal dumping of industrial, commercial and household waste in Guarlford, Malvern. Mr Arnold, from Malvern, was fined ￡8,000 and ordered to pay costs of ￡1,700 as well as a victim surcharge of ￡15. Woodstock UK Ltd, which knowingly permitted the illegal waste activity to take place on their land, were given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of ￡4,750. Worcester Magistrates' Court heard that during part of October and November 2007 Conrad Arnold operated an illegal waste transfer station under the business name Malvern Handyman Services at Woodbridge Farm, Guarlford with the permission of the landowner, Woodstock UK Ltd. In October 2007, acting upon information received, officers from the Environment Agency, Malvern Hills District Council and the Police visited an area known as 'The Coppice' about 700 metres east of Woodbridge Farm. They found large quantities of waste deposited and partially buried in an old marl pit to the left of the wood. The waste included wooden pallets, plastic tubing, guttering, a washing machine, a bath, chipboard, tyres, plastic sheeting, glass, printers, a lawn mower, LPG cylinders, tarmac, two cars, televisions etc. The judge said Mr Arnold was saving himself a great deal of money, but that the rubbish had now been removed. In mitigation, the court heard how Woodstock UK Ltd had spent ￡12,000 on a digger and removed the waste in the coppice and now had locked gates to prevent entry to the premises. The charges were brought by the Environment Agency under s33(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The case was heard on 18 June 2010.