£10,000 fine to man who illegally burned waste

A 35-year-old man who ignored warnings not to illegally burn waste on his land has been hit with a £10,000 fine.

John Doherty, who was living in Woodville Road, Overseal at the time, was given verbal and written orders – and was served with an abatement notice - by our Environmental Health Officers.

The Council took legal action after Doherty set fire to commercial waste consisting of a mix of plastics, rubber and other materials in a large skip on his property in May 2017. This exposed residents to potentially high levels of pollution.

Doherty, who admitted the offence at Derby Magistrates Court, was ordered to pay a £10,000 fine, costs of £1,875.90 and a £170 victim surcharge.

Cllr Peter Watson, Chairman of the Environment and Development Services Committee at our Council, said:

“The Council has been monitoring air quality across South Derbyshire for a number of years to assess it against international health standards.

“We’re proud that we have clean air quality and we’ll use all enforcement powers available to us to deal with illegal activity which puts this at risk.

“The court made it clear there will be a big price to pay for those who potentially endanger the health of other residents.”

Anyone who wishes to report pollution in South Derbyshire is urged to complete our online form.

5 February 2018