A Northumberland man who dumped waste illegally on rural land has been given a suspended jail sentence following an investigation by the Environment Agency.
Dominic Allan, 30, of Old Swarland in Northumberland, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Friday 19 December for two offences of operating an illegal waste site.
He had previously pleaded guilty to the offences on 16 October.
The court heard he ignored Environment Agency advice to stop the activity at the site and to clear it of all waste.
He was given a 23-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 16 days rehabilitation activity and to pay £3,154 in costs.
He was also told to clear all remaining waste from the land by 30 June 2026 – and if he fails to do so he will be returned to court.
Blatant disregard for the law
Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, said
Allan told us that he wasn’t aware he needed an environmental permit to carry out this waste activity, but from his history he knew full well it was illegal.
Permits are there to protect communities and the environment and Allan had a blatant disregard for the law with no thought about the impact of his actions.
We’ll continue to take action against those involved in waste crime to protect people and the environment.
On 24 July 2024 Environment Agency officers attended Allan’s property at Old Swarland in response to reports about waste activity.
On inspection officers saw a mixture of scrap vehicles, construction and demolition waste, garden and household waste. There was also an area of burned waste.
Allan told officers he didn’t realise he needed an environmental permit to store waste, that he was currently not taking in waste and that he was not operating a waste site.
He said the bulk of the vehicles were not his and that an associate was renting that area of the compound to store them.
He said he intended to apply for an environmental permit, which is required to carry out most waste activity.
Burning waste
However Allan’s social media activity from the summer of 2024 showed he was offering waste collection services and scrap vehicles for parts, activities Allan was aware is illegal.
Allan was told by officers that this was an illegal waste site and no further waste burning should take place. He was given direction to clear all waste from the stie.
A visit by the Environment Agency in August 2024 revealed that waste was still present on site including scrap vehicles, evidence of burning, mixed household waste and construction and demolition waste – as well as plasterboard, which is a hazardous waste. Allan said he had not cleared any waste from the site.
In October, a further visit found the gates to the compound were locked, but there was a plume of smoke coming from it, and little attempt had been made to clear the site.
A final visit in March 2025 revealed again that no waste had been cleared from the site as instructed.
In August 2021, Allan was previously sentenced to 12 months in prison, ordered to pay £1,000 in costs and given 18 months to clear the site after he pleaded guilty to two offences of operating a waste site without an environmental permit, and three offences of burning waste at the same location.
Full charges
1.
Between 23 July 2024 and 18 October 2024 at Aln View, Old Swarland you operated or knowingly permitted the operation of a regulated facility, namely a waste operation otherwise than in accordance with or to the extent authorised by an environmental permit.
Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016
2.
On 20 March 2025 at Aln View, Old Swarland you operated or knowingly permitted the operation of a regulated facility, namely a waste operation otherwise than in accordance with or to the extent authorised by an environmental permit.
Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(1) Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016