Shaun Nigel Dixon, Director of SOS Skip Hire and Haulage, a Lincoln-based waste company, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being found guilty of breaching the company’s environmental permit and planning conditions by illegally depositing waste at a site in Dale Street.

Sitting at Lincoln Crown Court last week, recorder G R W Evans QC outlined that although the company had been issued with two enforcement notices and two breach of condition notices by Lincolnshire County Council in April 2013, and had had its permit revoked by the Environment Agency (EA) in December 2013, SOS Skip Hire and Haulage continued to take in more waste at its site in Dale Street.

Case details

According to the EA, officers were first alerted to the company after receiving concerns from the council about large piles of waste building up at the site.

On arrival at the site in August 2013, EA officers noted that some of the piles reached eight-metres high in places, and were not only in breach of environment and planning notices, but were also an eyesore.

Further to this, there was evidence that the waste had been illegally burnt, with officers finding charred remains and ‘puffs of smoke’ amongst the piles.

During a consequent visit in December 2013, EA officers detected methane emanating from the decomposing waste and took samples from ditches leading to a surface water drain (which filtered through to the River Witham), which were later found to comprise ‘high levels of ammonia’.

According to the EA, the site comprised nearly 20,000 tonnes of waste, even though it was only licensed to hold 1,100 tonnes.

Anne-Lise McDonald, acting in a joint prosecution for the EA and Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Dixon knew the limits and failed to reduce the amount kept at the site. He even allowed more waste to be accepted, compounding the problem.

“The largest pile and the one which caused the officers the most concern was a very large pile of mixed waste akin to landfill waste but without the precautions that a legitimate landfill site would have in place.

“The waste was decomposing, causing black stagnant liquid to leach out of the waste, bad odours, litter and an increase in flies. The excessive height of the wastes was also harmful to visual amenity.”

Dixon blamed a lack of finances for his actions. The company has since gone into liquidation.

Sentencing

Last week, Dixon was sentenced to 12 months in prison (suspended for two years), ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community service, and ordered to pay £16,094 in costs.

Dixon was also disqualified from being a company director for five years and was issued with a regulation 44 order, requiring him to produce a plan detailing how he is going to clear the site.

After the hearing investigating officer Peter Stark said: “Dixon and his company were given every opportunity to comply with their permit and planning conditions and operate a business legitimately.

“He provided assurances that action would be taken to remove waste from the site and activities would be compliant with the waste regulations, these were hollow promises and his legacy to the City of Lincoln will be remembered for the wrong reasons.

“The Environment Agency and Lincolnshire County Council will not tolerate poor compliance and a disregard for the regulations, planning conditions and the environment. Working together, we will continue to use all our powers to ensure the environment and communities are protected and legitimate businesses can operate without unfair competition.”

Find out more about how the EA investigates waste crime.