The company received multiple warnings from the Environment Agency (EA) to clear the site at 33 Imperial Way, in the middle of one of Croydon’s retail parks.
The site was briefly the home to a Sports Direct in 2022 which has since closed. The illegal dumping is reported to have started in July that year.
London News Online reported earlier this year that the site’s “low and damaged fence” meant it was easily accessible to fly-tippers.
In August 2022, Croydon council reported the dumping to the EA. The agency contacted Spark Properties which holds the legal obligation to clear the site.
After several months of inaction, investigators requested the company provide a plan on how they will clear the waste on 13 March 2023.
After not receiving a response, the EA served a ‘Section 59ZC’ enforcement notice to the company on 31 March 2023. The notice gave the company two months to clear the site.
The EA decided to pursue a legal case on 16 June 2023 after the property company ignored an Enforcement Order to clear the site.
Matt Higginson, environment manager for the EA said “We are determined to ensure there is no space for waste crime and are pushing forward with our ‘Op Angola’ investigations and pursuing the criminals who deposited the waste at various locations in Croydon.
“However, landowners are responsible to clear up waste illegally deposited on their land. We tried to work with the company to give advice on how to get the land clear, but after many warnings, we had no alternative but to go down the enforcement route”.
“We encourage anyone who suspects waste crime to report it to us on 0800 807060.”
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