Garage owner told to clear scrap or face jail

Man pleads guilty to operating waste operation without environmental permit and has five months to clear site

Garage owner told to clear scrap or face jail
Image: Environment Agency.

The owner of an independent garage in Norfolk has been told to clear waste kept illegally on his site within five months or face a potential jail sentence.

The Environment Agency this week took Colin Barnes, of CT Barnes Autos in Scarning, to court over mechanical waste stored on the garage premises.

Between November 14, 2019 and January 30, 2021, 64-year-old Barnes operated an illegal waste storage operation alongside the auto business.

In doing so, he gathered and illegally stored a large amount of scrap material at the site, including end of life vehicles, tyres, car parts, gearboxes and suspension units.

The court heard how several of the vehicles kept on site contained fuel, brake and clutch fluid, batteries and tyres, which posed a significant risk of fire or explosion.

Related: Garage fined after oil drum explosion killed engineer

Inspectors also found oils and fuel on open ground, which risked contaminating the ground and surface water.

On May 12 Barnes pleaded guilty to operating a waste operation without an environmental permit at Norwich Magistrates’ Court, after missing several opportunities to remedy the situation without the need for court action.

Sarah Dunne, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said he had been given every opportunity to clear the waste and had been granted extensions on his deadlines four times as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

After his guilty plea, the case was adjourned for sentencing in November 2021.

Related: 15,000 write-offs returned to UK roads every year

Magistrates warned Barnes that if he failed to clear the waste within the next five months he would risk a prison sentence.

Tom Howard, environmental crime officer at the EA, said: “Storing waste illegally meant that Mr Barnes was able to operate at a commercial advantage, undermine legitimate businesses and put the environment at real risk.

“The magistrates’ stance sends a powerful message to those prepared to operate an illegal waste business.”

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Home Page Forums Garage owner told to clear scrap or face jail

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  • #212589 Reply

    The owner of an independent garage in Norfolk has been told to clear waste kept illegally on his site within five months or face a potential jail sent
    [See the full post at: Garage owner told to clear scrap or face jail]

    #212592 Reply
    Meat-Head
    Guest

    So what as Pink would say.

    What about xyz cars that only deal in mk IV Gulfs, they break them
    Store the parts. No different!

    Ok with fuel and water etc maybe have a point.
    If not bothering anybody then tell the EA to GTF.

    They dont work on “possable pollution”. Bassard guy up road from here
    Kept changing gearboxes in street, my imaginary cat would get covered in gearbox oil.

    Rung EA with the guy’s Twitter handle and said if he actually dropped oil there and then will do something but otherwise no, despite the fact long oil slicks down the street!

    TAGS
    #fuds #pollution #cars #meat

    #212621 Reply
    Dougal
    Guest

    I am not a great fan of the Environment Agency but I do not think that ignoring 4 warnings and still being given 5 months grace can be considered to be harsh.

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