Charles Willard ran a waste transfer station in Chichester without environmental permits, while Callan Wood let it operate on land owned by his company.
Charles Willard, 41, of Priors Lease Lane, Hambrook and Callan Wood, 35, of Town Cross Avenue, Bognor Regis received suspended sentences for their roles in an illegal waste transfer station at a site in Chichester.
Willard operated a waste transfer station without environmental permits, while Wood allowed the site to operate within Appledram Business Park, which is owned by the company he managed.
Anyone wishing to carry out a waste operation can only do so in accordance with an environmental permit granted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations unless a waste operation is exempt.
For an operation to be exempt, an 'exemption' must be applied for, and certain conditions need to be met. Neither an exemption nor a permit was in place for the activities taking place on site.
Guilty pleas to running a site and letting it happen on owned land
Charles Willard pleaded guilty on two charges of operating a waste site without a permit, and was given 16 weeks prison sentence suspended for 1 year.
Callan Wood pleaded guilty to one charge of allowing the operation of a waste site without an environmental permit, and was given an 18 weeks prison sentence suspended for 1 year.
Both men were banned from being company directors for 2 years, and each ordered to pay a share of the costs and a victim surcharge.
Willard's companies Hello Skips Ltd and Eko Hire Ltd pleaded guilty to one offence each of operating a waste site without a permit.
Wood's company CW Bikes Ltd pleaded guilty to one charge of allowing the operation of a waste site without an environmental permit.
Fines, costs and victim surcharges amounted to more than £44,000, split between the two men and three micro companies.
'We will press for the strongest penalties'
Photographs received from Sussex Police via drone footage, show the scale of the waste operations.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said:
Illegal waste processing sites pose a threat to the environment and undermine legitimate waste businesses, and we will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties.
The Environment Agency will also prosecute landowners who turn a blind eye to illegal waste sites on their land.
If anyone suspects that waste crime is taking place in your community, contact our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Agency flags illegal waste operation to landowner
Appledram Business Park in Chichester is owned by CW Bikes Limited, managed by director Callan Wood. The site is divided into various plots which CW Bikes Limited rents out to various businesses.
On 28 July 2022 Environment Agency officers attended the site following a routine visit to another permitted yard on the site. They discovered an unpermitted waste transfer station: a site that collects and sorts waste before sending for disposal.
The site was estimated to be 50 metres by 30 metres in size with a six-foot fence running along three sides of the yard.
Large mounds of construction waste, soil, and skips filled with various types of waste including glass and household waste, were seen.
The site was leased to Charles Willard of Hello Skips. This company is a known waste operator.
Despite the Environment Agency informing CW Bikes Limited that illegal waste operations were being carried out on its land, the site continued to operate.
Agency returns with police to check site
On 9 February 2023 agency staff, in the company of Sussex Police, attended the site to gain access with a view to establishing whether the operation was still ongoing, the source of waste and details of any operators on the site.
Large mounds of construction waste, soil, and skips filled with various types of waste including glass and household waste, were seen.
They discovered five skips as well as a pile of waste estimated to include around 200 - 280 tons of waste material - the size of two double decker buses. The giant pile included soils, carpet underlay, plastic pipework, and seven soiled mattresses.
The deposit of waste was around 30m across by 10m deep, and was 10m high.
The skips contained waste including metal, wood, plastic, cloth and wire.
Photographs received from Sussex Police via drone footage, show the scale of the waste operations.
To report suspicious waste activities, call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.
Background
Callan Wood charged with one offence of:
- Between 9 September 2022 and 1 March 2024 at unit 18 (later re-named as unit 15), within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, CW Bikes Limited did knowingly permit the operation of a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit and that such contravention was committed with Callan Wood's consent or connivance as a director of the Company, contrary to Regulations 12, 38(1)(a) and 41(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Charles Willard charged with two offences of:
Between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023 at unit 18 (later re-named as unit 15) within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, Hello Skips Limited operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit, and that such contravention was committed with Charles Willard's consent or connivance as a director of the Company, contrary to Regulations 12, 38(1)(a) and 41(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Between 1 August 2023 and 1 March 2024 at unit 15 (formerly unit 18) within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, Eko hire ltd Limited operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit, and that such contravention was committed with Charles Willard's consent or connivance as a director of the Company, contrary to Regulations 12, 38(1)(a) and 41(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
C W Bikes Ltd charged with one offence of:
- Between 1 May 2022 and 1 March 2024 at unit 18 (later re-named as unit 15), within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, CW Bikes Limited did knowingly permit the operation of a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(b) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Hello Skips Ltd charged with one offence of:
- Between 1 January 2022 and 30 June 2023 at unit 18 (later re-named as unit 15) within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, Hello Skips Limited operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Eko Hire Ltd charged with one offence of:
- Between 1 July 2023 and 1 March 2024 at unit 15 (formerly unit 18) within Appledram Business Park, Chichester, PO19 8FH, Eko Hire Ltd operated a regulated facility, namely a waste operation for the deposit, treatment and storage of waste, except under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Regulations 12 and 38(1)(a) Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
