At Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, the company was fined £13,653 and ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of £2,821, alongside a victim surcharge, after pleading guilty to the illegal deposit of controlled waste.
The prosecution marks the third conviction secured by the Environment Agency in relation to the illegal waste site, which was shut down in 2022.
The court heard that DTM Grab Hire deposited 3,490 tonnes of soil, stones and road planings at the site between 3 January and 11 September 2021.
Thousands of tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste were discovered at the premises, which sits on a floodplain in South Devon.
The Environment Agency estimates that remediation of the site will cost at least £2.5 million.
According to the regulator, the deposits significantly increased flood risk in the surrounding area.
The Environment Agency previously prosecuted the site’s landowner, Christopher Garrett, in 2024 after he repeatedly ignored warnings from the regulator.
Another waste carrier, David Gorton, was also fined last month for his role in depositing waste at the site.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We have now successfully prosecuted the landowner of this illegal site, plus two waste carriers who contributed to the deposit of soil and stone.
“Waste regulations are in place to protect people and the environment, and it is essential that all companies follow the rules.
“We will take enforcement action against anyone who transports, disposes or stores waste illegally.”
New waste crime legislation
This comes after the Environment Agency announced that strengthened waste crime laws will be laid in Parliament this week.
The laws will bring in checks that require waste handlers to prove that they are qualified to transport waste.
The system will be brought into force in 2027 and will see waste handlers undergo identity, criminal record and technical checks before receiving a permit.
Permit numbers will then need to be displayed in advertising, including on their vans, in order to make it easier for the public to report unlicensed operators.
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