David Pipe, director of D M Pipe, RRAGO Jack Leasing and RRAGO Jack Recruitment, was also sentenced to 12 months in custody, suspended for 18 months.
The prosecution followed Environment Agency investigations into waste activities at three sites in the Harleston area, including land known as Withersdale Hall.
The CBO prevents Pipe from being involved or concerned in any business involving the unlawful collection, transport, deposit, storage or processing of waste from land without the appropriate permit or licence.
It also requires waste from all three sites to be removed within 12 months.
Sentencing, Judge Bone said: “You have had enough time. With respect to you, this [removing the waste] will be your priority.
“The position in this case is not regulatory misunderstanding or uncertainty. The offending arose from a persistent failure over a protracted period. You knew what the notices required and chose not to do so.”
Lesley Robertson, Enforcement Team Leader at the Environment Agency, added that Pipe had “undercut legitimate rivals” by avoiding permitting and subsistence fees and the conditions attached to environmental permits.
She said: “Where we find evidence of illegal activity, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action; the suspended sentence and CBO show how seriously the court views waste crime.”
Withersdale waste dumping
Environment Agency officers first visited Withersdale Hall in October 2023, where they found a skip containing burning wood, waste dumped in an historic moat and large quantities of waste stored in buildings and other skips.
One of the skips was marked with the name ‘DM Pipe Groundworks’.
The agency said Pipe had imported, stored and burned large quantities of waste at the site, despite having no environmental permits in place.
Following the initial inspection, the Environment Agency issued a cease-and-desist letter instructing Pipe to stop the activity and remove all waste from the site.
When officers returned in November 2023, the waste remained and had increased in volume.
Pipe was subsequently invited to attend a voluntary interview under caution, but the Environment Agency said no reply was received.
Officers continued to revisit the site and found waste still present. The agency then wrote to Pipe warning him of potential legal action.
Further inspections followed, with the final inspection taking place on 23 March 2026. This found that little effort had been made to clear the waste from the site.
The Environment Agency said Pipe had also sought to legitimise his waste operation by registering exemptions intended for low-risk waste activities.
Councillor Tristan Gale, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Devolution and The Fire Service, commented: “I welcome this outcome, which sends a clear message that breaches of planning and environmental regulations will not be tolerated.
“I would like to thank Suffolk County Council officers and the Environment Agency for their work in bringing this case before the courts. We will continue to work with our partners to protect Suffolk’s communities, environment and law-abiding businesses.”
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