£14,500 for Waste Permit breaches

A Hampshire company that failed to obtain the necessary permits for its waste and recycling operation has been ordered to pay a total of £14,515 by magistrates.

Hutchings & Carter Ltd was fined £4,000, ordered to pay £10,500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge at Aldershot Magistrates' Court. It admitted two charges under The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2007 and 2010.

The offences relate to the company's failure to obtain an environmental permit and planning permission for the deposit of waste for sorting and bulking prior to disposal.

Environment Agency (EA) officers noticed the site when they attended an unrelated water pollution incident in Alton. They found that no environmental permits or exemptions existed for the site and a subsequent visit revealed large piles of material, including stone and soil, and the presence of skips and other machinery. The EA requested copies of waste transfer notes that related to loads of waste (as opposed to sales of topsoil, sand or aggregates) deposited; these showed that waste was taken to the company's premises.

Senior Environment Officer Neil Martin said: "Waste crime puts the environment and human health at risk and undermines legitimate businesses. Environmental permits require specific infrastructure and procedures to be put in place to minimise environmental impacts. The sites will also be regulated by the Environment Agency to ensure that they keep to the permit conditions. The company has potentially saved on costs for permitting and infrastructure and avoided regulation. This case demonstrates that companies involved in handling waste of any kind should always check what permissions and permits are needed."