Companies pay the penalty for burning of waste

The courts showed how seriously they take environmental pollution when two local companies were each found guilty of the illegal burning of waste and fined a total of more than £40,000 at Norwich Magistrates on Thursday 26 January.

Drury’s Transport Ltd. and sister company Southrepps Developments Ltd. two companies under the same ownership and occupying adjacent sites at Lyngate in North Walsham, were both prosecuted by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) for deliberately setting fire to a huge pile, 50 to 60 tonnes in all, of stockpiled waste, including wood, plaster, loft insulation, cables, plastic and general building waste, on 6 November 2010. Prior to the burning NNDC Environmental Health officers had advised the companies that they must sort the material and remove that which should not be burnt to an appropriate disposal site. As a licensed waste management company, Drury’s Transport was well aware of all the rules regarding waste disposal but chose to ignore them to save the cost of sorting and land-fill charges. It would have cost the firm around £4,500 to dispose of the waste legally.

The resulting fire, which one officer described as ‘a scene from Armageddon’, was so hot that NNDC Environmental Health officers were unable to approach it for two days, and it continued to burn for a further two days, emitting thick black smoke and causing significant disturbance and concern to local businesses and residents.

NNDC Cabinet Member for Legal Services, Cllr Trevor Ivory said, “This was a reckless act, potentially dangerous for local people and the environment. North Norfolk District Council has a zero tolerance approach to any activity of this type and I am delighted that the courts share our concern. Hopefully the hefty fine will make anyone tempted to burn waste illegally to think again."

ENDS