The owner of a car breaking business in Godstone (Surrey) has been sentenced to serve 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £34800 after pleading guilty at Guildford Crown Court to an illegal waste activity.
William Creasey, of South Godstone, was charged with operating a waste facility without the correct environmental permits in a manner likely to cause pollution after numerous complaints from members of the public and an investigation by the Environment Agency brought to light issues at the Surrey site, including fires burning in skips and oil escaping to nearby watercourses.
The local authority said that its officers have been working with Creasey since “a flurry of complaints” from the local community prompted a visit to the site in 2010. Subsequent investigations revealed the site being used to illegally burn waste scaffolding boards, store waste tyres and wheels, damaged vehicles, and skips full of waste metal.
Throughout the investigation the EA said it worked with Creasey to make him aware of his responsibilities, with little apparent affect, and between 19 March 2010 and 23 January 2013, 46 reports of illegal activity at the site were received.
Environment officers visited the site on 23 January 2013 with officers from Surrey Police and served Creasey with a court warrant.
A search carried out on that day found nine skips filled with broken car parts, car wheels, and vehicle parts strewn across the yard; there was an oily sheen covering many parts of the yard with a stream along the boundary also black and oily and rusty skip containing burnt remains.
A search carried out on that day found nine skips filled with broken car parts, car wheels, and vehicle parts strewn across the yard; there was an oily sheen covering many parts of the yard with a stream along the boundary also black and oily and rusty skip containing burnt remains.
MVDA comment: While its good to see illegal operators getting their ‘due deserts’ this case once again highlights the lacklustre performance of the Environment Agency and local enforcement authorities. It took 3 years & almost 50 separate complaints before decisive action was taken.
Motor Vehicle Dismantlers Association of Great Britain Office 5, Top Floor,
Charrington House, 17A Market St, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6JX, UK.
Charrington House, 17A Market St, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6JX, UK.
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