The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted a 43-year-old Staffordshire woman for failing to remove illegal waste from land in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
- Calls from members of public prompts Environment Agency investigation
- Hundreds of tonnes of waste stored on rented land in Lichfield
- Case heard at Cannock Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 March 2025
At Cannock Magistrates Court on 4 March 2025, Lissa Appleby, of Nankirks Lane, Anslow, near Burton-upon-Trent, pleaded guilty to a single offence and was fined £550. She was also ordered to pay a victim's surcharge of £220.
The court was told that officers from the Environment Agency visited the address she was renting at Mill Farm, Cappers Lane, Whittington, Lichfield on October 13, 2023. The visit came following calls from members of the public regarding waste issues. The address consisted of a domestic property, large grounds and a barn.
Inside the barn several hundred tonnes of dry shredded waste was discovered, containing plastic sheeting, plastic textiles, metals, wood and cardboard.
Following a period of rainfall, the defendant was initially requested to move the waste from outside to inside the barn area as a temporary measure. This was to stop further leachate contamination.
She was also given guidance that an environmental permit would be required for the activities carried out or for the waste to be removed by a person who held the correct waste carriers' licence.
The Environment Agency issued a letter to immediately cease activities at the property, believing she was operating an illegal waste site.
Officers visited the site again on 26 October 2023 and found that the waste remained. Some had been put inside the barn, although there was still a large pile outside.
The defendant said she could not afford to clear the site.
Officers served a notice on the defendant, instructing her to remove all the waste on site by 3 January 2024.
However, a further site visit on 10 January 2024 found the waste remained.
On 31 January 2024, the defendant vacated the property, informing the letting agents she would clear all the waste within a two-week period.
But on 29 February 2024, another visit by the Environment Agency confirmed that all the original waste remained on site. Plus additional waste had been deposited within the barn.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:
This site posed a significant environmental threat due to the high risk of fire and potential impact to local communities and amenities.
As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue people that fail to meet their obligations.
Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment, harm human health and undermine local legitimate waste companies.
If anyone is suspicious of waste activities they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.
Background
Lissa Appleby, on 4 January 2024, being the occupier of land, namely Mill Farm, Cappers Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, WS14 9JW, failed without reasonable excuse to comply with a notice dated 13th November 2023 to remove controlled waste from the land contrary to section 59ZB(2) and 59ZB(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
