According to Lichfield District Council, waste measuring over 20 metres in length, two metres in height and weighing in excess of 27 tonnes was illegally deposited overnight on 19-20 January 2025 on Watery Lane, Lichfield.
The waste completely blocked the lane and restricted access for residents and local businesses.
The council arranged for its removal on 21 January 2025, at an approximate cost of £10,000.
Lichfield district council’s environmental health officers raided the company’s site on 21 March 2025 and seized a lorry believed to have been used in the incident.
Fly-tipping charges and court proceedings
The individual and his company both entered pleas of not guilty to all charges in the hearing on 6 August 2025.
The man faces multiple counts, including:
- Depositing or knowingly causing the deposit of controlled waste without an environmental permit
- Disposing of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health
- Dangerous driving
- Failing to ensure that waste was transferred only to an authorised person
- Wilfully obstructing the free passage along a public highway for approximately 38 hours
Fusion Engineering faces equivalent counts under the Environmental Protection Act and Highways Act relating to the unlawful deposit and handling of controlled waste.
The court has set the case for a full trial in March 2027, with the delay attributed by Lichfield Council to a backlog in the Crown Court system.
Councillor Doug Pullen, Leader of Lichfield District Council, said: “We are disappointed that due to the backlog in the court system the trial will not be held until 2027 but I have every confidence in our Environmental Health team and we will continue to take a zero tolerance approach to fly-tipping in Lichfield District whenever it takes place.”
This incident underscores a rise in fly-tipping in England, with the latest statistics from Defra showing illegal waste dumping increased by 6% in 2023/24.
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