Sunday, October 12, 2008

Construction firm fined £33,000 for illegal waste dumping

Magistrates have fined Hampshire-based Swanwick Construction Group ВЈ33,000 after it was prosecuted by the Environment Agency for illegal waste dumping.

Swanwick pleaded not guilty to dumping a lorry-load of waste on land within the New Forest National Park boundary on 28 September 2006.

Agency officers visited the site and found that the landowner of the site in Pollards Lane, Copythorne, had employed J&W Demolition to raise levels on the land.

J&W was found to be using waste material including wood, soils, concrete, bricks, plastic and tarmac without being properly licensed to do so.

Swanwick Construction argued that it had not been in control of the vehicle which tipped the waste onto the land. But the court heard that both Swanwick and J&W have the same director - Christopher Collins - and rejected the claim.

Swanwick was also ordered to pay ВЈ1,800 in costs.