A TEIGNBRIDGE waste carrier has been ordered to pay more than £17,500 after an ‘illegal eyesore’ of building waste was dumped at an illegally operated site in Kingsteignton.
David Gorton, 59, of Denbury Road, Newton Abbot, appeared before magistrates in Newton Abbot charged with depositing construction waste on land at Little Lindridge Farm, Kingsteignton, when there was no environmental permit in force authorising the deposit.
Magistrates were told Gorton deposited 1,368 tonnes of soil and stone at the illegal site between July 19 2018 and May 16 2019, while operating as a registered waste carrier.
Gorton pleaded guilty to the illegal deposit of controlled waste and failing to comply with his duty of care as a waste carrier.
He was fined £1,466 and told to pay back the economic benefit he realised by his illegal activity of £12,300.
He was also told to pay the Environment Agency’s costs of £3,614 and a victim surcharge.
The landowner of the site in question, Christopher Garrett was prosecuted in 2024 after receiving multiple warnings from the Environment Agency.
Thousands of tonnes of mixed construction and demolition waste was found at the premises.
It was estimated it would cost at least £2.5million to remediate the site, which sits on a flood plain.
The Environment Agency said the deposits of waste would have significantly increased the flood risk in the area.
The landowner told Gorton he had a license in place as a waste site, but Gorton failed to check this himself.
Registered waste carriers have a duty of care to ensure that they know where they are sending their waste and take steps to ensure that their waste is handled by legal sites.
Even after being warned about the site by an Environment Agency officer in 2019, Gorton continued to make deposits.
After the hearing, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: ‘This illegal eyesore was made possible by waste carriers like Gorton who ignored the law to deposit waste at the site.
‘Waste regulations are in place to protect people and the environment, and it is essential that all companies follow the rules.
‘We would like to remind everyone who produces, transports or disposes of waste that they have a duty of care to ensure it doesn’t end up at a site like this.’
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity can report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.