T J Cottis Transport and one of its directors have been fined after it was discovered illegally tipping waste on protected land.
Some 3,920 tonnes of waste was deposited on Little Hayes Farm, Stow Maries, Essex, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and has an exemption which allows only 1,000 tonnes of soil and stones to be deposited for construction purposes.
Almost four times the permitted amount of waste was unloaded on the site between 15 April and 8 May 2015.
Rayleigh, Essex-based T J Cottis Transport and director Jedd Cottis pleaded guilty to depositing the waste without an environmental permit and for failing to comply with duty of care requirements at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 3 August.
T J Cottis Transport was fined £2,000 for each of the offences, and must pay £4,059 in costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Cottis was fined £530 for each of the two offences, plus a £4,059 share of the full costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
Land owner Simon Hollington pleaded guilty to knowingly causing the waste to be deposited illegally. He was fined £1,833 and must pay £4,059 in costs and a £120 victim surcharge.
The Environment Agency said the waste, construction and demolition waste from T J Cottis Transport’s waste treatment facility, was intended to strengthen the existing flood defences. However, the waste included concrete, brick, plastic, glass, wood and plasterboard, and was not suitable for use in flood defences.
The court was told Hollington paid the company £4,800 to deposit the waste on the site.
T J Cottis Transport, which has an O-licence authorising up to 20 vehicles, admitted it had saved £24,000 in landfill charges by tipping the waste on the farm.
