Skip hire contractor ignored court orders (From Oxford Mail)

Skip hire contractor ignored court orders

9:16am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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An Oxfordshire skip hire contractor who consistently flouted waste regulations has been given a suspended prison sentence after being found in contempt of court.

His actions spoiled an area of outstanding natural beauty in the Chiltern Hills and he was given the sentence after consistently ignoring court orders.

On Friday, Oxford County Court found Geoffrey Parker, of Hundridge Farm, Ipsden Heath, near Wallingford, in contempt of court for continuing to keep controlled waste on his farm, and in nearby Cox's Lane without an environmental permit.

The court gave Mr Parker a 28-day suspended prison sentence and ordered him to pay the Environment Agency's costs of £18,000.

The warrant is suspended until May 15 this year and all the waste must be removed by that date.

Oxford County Court heard that Mr Parker, 70, has been working in the skip hire business for approximately 40 years.

His farm is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with waste visible at the entrance to the farm along a popular bridleway known as Cox's Lane.

The Environment Agency has been dealing with Mr Parker and his mismanagement of waste at Hundridge Farm since 1995.

He has been prosecuted on three previous occasions for bringing in a variety of waste without a permit, the last occasion being in June 2008.

Following that case, Mr Parker was served with two enforcement notices requiring him to clear the waste from the site.

This included metals, wood, plastics, batteries, rubber tyres and household items.

But during follow-up visits environment officers found the majority of the waste remained, in breach of the notices.

At Oxford County Court on 15 July last year, Mr Parker agreed to clear all the waste from the land by August 31. He also agreed to stop bringing in waste.

However, despite his promise to the court, Mr Parker failed to remove all the waste from the site and the Environment Agency applied to commit Mr Parker for contempt of court.

At the hearing on Friday, the court heard how although some progress had been made in removing waste from the site, Mr Parker was still in breach and therefore was found to be in contempt of court.

Environment Agency officer Holly Linham said: "Mr Parker has had ample opportunity to establish his business on a legal footing, but has made a conscious decision not to.”