Sheffield-based transport company Fletcher Plant Limited has been heavily penalised with fines of over £160,000 for the illegal disposal of waste in Long Bennington, Lincolnshire. The firm was convicted at Nottingham Crown Court for depositing more than 1,400 tonnes of regulated waste at a site on Fen Lane.
Following the sentencing on 8 August, the company was required to pay a £80,000 fine, £50,000 in costs, a victim surcharge of £181, and a confiscation order amounting to £37,587. Despite the Court acknowledging that the company was unaware of the illegality of the site, the lack of due diligence performed by the firm was sharply criticised.
The investigation into this Lincolnshire operation was conducted by the Environment Agency and resulted in sentencing for nine individuals in a previous verdict. Peter Stark, the Environment Agency’s enforcement team leader for Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, underscored the necessity for businesses participating in waste removal to conduct vigilant checks to avoid illicit activities.
This article was adapted from original reporting by www.bbc.com for The Lincoln Post.
