In a statement last week (14 April), the Agency stated that that Trevor Sieley, 63, of Outwell, pleaded guilty to storing and disposing of waste without an environmental permit at a hearing at Norwich Crown Court on 6 April.
The Agency said Mr Sieley was also ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge and £10 for breaching a suspended sentence order. He was served a court order to remove all waste from the site by the end of June 2023 and needs to provide all paperwork by 7 July 2023.
Apart from waste from his former contracting business, the EA said he disposed of commercial waste for family and friends. He burned some and acknowledged that his actions had saved them from paying for the correct disposal.
Phil Henderson, enforcement team leader for the Environment Agency, said: “Mr Sieley was able to operate at a commercial advantage and undermine his lawful competitors.”
According to the Agency, the court heard that Sieley’s burning of waste would have produced fumes harmful to human health and the environment, with several residential buildings and businesses in vicinity.
Offences
The offences took place between 29 July 2019 and 17 December 2019.
Mr Sieley received repeated warnings, and the Agency officers attended the site on seven occasions, the EA’s statement explained.
The Agency added that it observed the charred remains of general rubbish, which included plastics, metals, and hazardous items such as a vehicle engine and a television. The items were burned in a pit, and an “excavator on the site suggested a large amount of waste had been stored and burned”.
Mr Sieley was ordered to clear the site in September 2019, but subsequent visits showed he was “continuing to bring waste onto the property and burn it”.
A warrant to enter the site was issued for the Agency by Police in December 2019.
Previous convictions
The EA said that Judge Shaw pointed out that the defendant had breached environmental laws since 2008. Mr Sieley had two previous sets of environmental convictions and was made subject to a suspended sentence for permitting the cultivation of cannabis at the site.
According to the judge, Mr Sieley had “ample opportunity” to clear the site during the two years of lockdown yet continued to accept more waste and counter the Agency’s efforts to discuss the matter.
The Agency said it welcomes the sentence as it sends a powerful message.
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