Farmer Stored & Processed Large Quantities of Wood and C&D Waste : Illegal Waste Operations Earns 15 months Jail Time for Norfolk Farmer

Waste operator Mark Edward Fuller has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment for running an illegal waste site in North Runcton, Norfolk.

In Norwich, UK, illegal waste operator Mark Edward Fuller has been sentenced to 15 months of jail time for operating an unpermitted waste site on his farm for over a year.

Norwich Crown Court heard that fuller ran the illegal site for more than a year from Manor Farm in Common Lane without planning permission and without an environmental permit to deposit, store, dispose and treat waste.

The Environment Agency (EA) explained that back in September 2010 Norfolk County Council served an enforcement notice on Fuller requiring him to stop taking waste onto the land and processing it.

The waste included construction and wood waste. The enforcement notice was issued because the unauthorised uses were taking place in the open countryside and a large scale.

In August 2011 the notice was appealed by Fuller, but the Planning Inspector upheld the enforcement notice.

Fuller then lodged an unsuccessful application for permission to appeal against the Inspector’s decision with the High Court which delayed the effective date of the Enforcement Notice.

Mr Mark Watson, prosecuting on behalf of Norfolk County Council and the Environment Agency, told the court that despite correspondence, discussions, meetings and site visits by Environment Agency and Norfolk County Council officers, Fuller failed to respond to advice and continued to operate illegally.

In November 2012, Environment Agency and council officers inspected the site and found a large stockpile of wood waste, amounting to many thousands of tonnes and between 12 and 15 metres in height.

Further to this, the agency said that there had been thousands of tonnes of waste soil and construction and demolition waste imported and stockpiled.

Fuller was said to have told investigating officers that he had not received the letters from the Environment Agency and said until officers visited him in November 2012, he thought the operation was legal.

Commenting after the case, Enforcement Team Leader Phil Henderson said:

“The operation of illegal waste sites pose significant risk to our environment and local communities, particularly where this involves the wholesale stockpiling of waste, as in this case.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness with which the Environment Agency, our partners and the courts view this type of criminal offending and we will seek to prosecute those involved wherever possible. Operators need to ensure that they obtain the appropriate permission to operate waste sites and comply with the conditions of their permit.”

“This is a case that has stretched the powers of planning enforcement to the limit. The defendant refused to engage with the planning system; appeals, including High Court challenges with very little merit were designed to frustrate the enforcement procedure and have lengthened and increased the cost of this process.

“Three days after pleading guilty, Norfolk County Council’s investigations confirmed that Mr Fuller was continuing to breach the Enforcement Notice.

“The Council is determined that this type of activity will not be allowed to continue in such a sensitive location.”

His honour Judge Bate thanked all the officers for their patience and hard work in this matter.

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