Man fined for failing to clear illegal waste site
Illegal waste site: A man has been fined for failing to comply with a court order to clear waste from the site after an investigation by the Environment Agency.
Photograph shows waste on the site at Middlesbrough.
Martin Robert Hindmarsh, 48, of High Street, Stokesley, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 9 July where he admitted he was in contempt of court by failing to comply with a court order to clear waste from an illegal site at Tame Road in Middlesbrough.
He was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,750. The magistrates said his failure to clear the waste was wilful and warned he may end up in custody if he fails to clear it in the future.
Illegal sites have ‘terrible’ impact on the environment
Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, said:
We’re pleased the court has recognised the court order has been breached and how important it is to have this site cleared of waste.
Trying to bypass environmental laws for financial gain can ultimately end up being significantly more costly.
Illegal waste sites have a terrible impact on the environment and communities and undermine legitimate businesses and we’re committed to taking action against those involved in waste crime.
Hindmarsh sentenced in 2023
In July 2023, Hindmarsh and his company, B8 Waste Management Limited, were fined and ordered to pay costs totalling almost £26,000 when they appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
Hindmarsh had pleaded guilty to operating a waste site without a permit, failing to produce waste transfer notes and failing to comply with an Environment Agency notice to clear the site. The company pleaded guilty to operating a waste site without a permit.
Hindmarsh was also banned from being a company director for two years and ordered to clear the site of waste by 31 December, 2023. The site has not been cleared, and the Environment Agency brought Hindmarsh back before the court for contempt of court.