The Environment Agency has blocked access to land in Yorkshire to prevent the illegal dumping of waste.
A court order is now in place prohibiting anyone from importing waste into the site at Pyethornes Farm in Wigglesworth, Skipton.
The Restriction Order was obtained at North Yorkshire Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 4 February and will last six months.
Access to the premises is also prohibited, subject to certain exceptions.
The application for the order comes after the Environment Agency served a restriction notice on the premises on Monday 2 February.
A restriction notice can be in place for up to 72 hours and an application must be made to the court for a restriction order during that period, unless the notice is withdrawn.
Harms Communities, Damages the Environment
Ian Foster, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said
We’ve taken action to prevent access to this site while criminal proceedings are ongoing.
Illegal waste activity harms communities, damages the environment, and undermines legitimate waste businesses.
It ranges from visible offences such as fly tipping and illegal waste sites to more complex activity including environmental permit breaches, money laundering, and organised crime.
A 50-year-old man has been charged with operating a regulated facility without an environmental permit and will appear at York Magistrates’ Court on 19 February.
Background
The restriction order is granted under the Environment Act 1995 and failure to comply with the order is a criminal offence.
When using a waste company, businesses and householders have a duty to check that they are registered waste carriers and that their waste is being taken to a permitted facility. You can check if a business is a registered waste carrier online.