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Suspended jail sentence for Chester man in golf course waste trial

Continued dumping of non-inert waste at a golf course has seen a Chester man sentenced to three months' imprisonment, suspended for twelve months.

Sentencing was given at Cardiff High Court on December 14 after the man, Gary George Chubb of Mollington Grange Golf Club, Chester after he breached a High Court injunction obtained by the Environment Agency earlier this year.

Mr Chubb was sentenced by Judge Graham Jones to three terms of three months, suspended for twelve months and to run concurrently, for breaching the injunction order on three separate occasions.

The injunction was granted on 14 January this year and prohibited Mr Chubb from depositing or knowingly permitting any unsuitable wastes to be deposited at Mollington Grange Golf Club, Chester. However, Mr Chubb was still permitted to allow the deposit of inert waste and other materials, such as clean soil for golf course construction, under the terms of an exemption notice granted by the Agency.

The Agency brought proceedings following routine inspections to the club on July 21, August 14 and September 8 this year, when an environment protection officer found that unsuitable materials including cable, plastic oil containers, metal insulation materials and carpet had been deposited at the site contrary to the terms of the injunction.

Speaking after the case Katherine Thomas, solicitor for Environment Agency Wales said: “The Agency sought the injunction against Mr Chubb so that it could ensure that unsuitable waste with a potential to harm the environment was not deposited at Mollington Grange Golf Club. Its terms made it clear that failure to adhere to it would result in criminal proceedings.”

Similar proceedings were also brought against Denis James Liggett, alleging a breach of a similar injunction in March 2000. The judge did not find that Liggett had breached its terms.

Inert waste can be placed on golf courses if legal requirements are met, saving part of the Landfill Tax fee.

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