A Lincolnshire-based holiday park operator has been ordered to pay more than £8,500 for illegally burning waste, following an investigation by the Environment Agency.
Seaside Leisure Parks, which had previously been warned by the Agency, was accused of burning a waste pile consisting of mattresses, sofas, and plastic chairs among other items in July 2017. The Agency said it also found evidence of previous waste fires on site.
Commenting on the conviction, which was handed down at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court this week, the Agency’s enforcement team leader Mark Rumble said that he hopes it acts as a deterrent to other such incidents.
The fire was started 25 metres away from caravans
He said: “Businesses have a legal duty to dispose of their waste correctly. This duty is in place to protect communities and the environment from pollution.
“By burning waste illegally on site, Seaside Leisure Parks put people and wildlife at risk in the interest of financial gain.”
Smoke
When Agency staff attended the site, they observed “acrid smoke” from the fire blowing across the caravan site – with the nearest caravan being situated 25 meters away.
The fire service attended the fire in July 2017, and the EA said in a statement that the company did not take the appropriate action to remove the waste for another month, instead leaving the waste and fire residues on site. By not disposing of this correctly, Seaside Leisure Parks was said to have avoided costs of approximately £2,000.
The company was ordered to pay a £5,000 fine as well as £3,496.50 in costs and a victim surcharge of £170.
Seaside Leisure Parks has been approached for comment.
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