The defendants were sentenced on 27 February 2025 at Northampton Magistrates’ Court. Their sentences included being ordered to pay fines of almost £32,000, victim surcharges and prosecution costs. The total charges are more than £75,000.
The court case came as a result of an investigation run by the Environment Agency (EA) between 2019 and 2021.
The site which was under investigation is located on Mill Farm in Great Cransley and is operated by Green Infrastructure.
When attending the scene, EA officers found 34,000 tonnes of waste stored at the site. This included large quantities of mixed waste piled over 10 metres high – which the officers said had become “an eyesore for the local community”.
They also found that Green Infrastructure did not possess the correct environmental permits for the work being carried out on site.
Despite repeated visits, the EA added that its guidance to remove the waste was “ignored” for over two years.
The third defendant belonged to Storefield Aggregates which failed to comply with the waste duty of care by sending more than 24,000 tonnes of waste to the site between 2019 and 2021. The company was ordered to pay more than £43,000.
The EA sent warning letters to two further companies which also deposited waste at the site.
Yvonne Daly, manager at the EA, said: “We work to stop illegal waste activities and support legitimate business whilst protecting communities and nature from harm. We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will not hesitate to disrupt activity and prosecute those responsible.”
The EA called for anyone who suspects illegal waste activity to report it through its 24-hours incident hotline on 0800 807060, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
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