The Environment Agency has warned that the prosecution of a developer in Cornwall is "a signal to illegal businesses – we will not let you get away with ignoring the rules."
Paul Stephens, formerly of Malpas, Truro and now of Oxfordshire, has received a four-month curfew and has been ordered to clean up an illegal waste dump caused near Newquay, following an Environment Agency (EA) prosecution.
On Monday Truro Crown Court heard that as the director of Park Lane Financial Management Limited, the 58-year-old deposited at least 25,000 tonnes of waste on land in Hendra Croft, Scotland Road.
(Video: Environment Agency)
Park Lane Financial Management Limited pleaded guilty to three environmental offences committed between November 2018 and July 2025, two for operation of an illegal waste site, and one for the burning of waste.
The director of the company, Paul Stephens, pleaded guilty to the illegal deposit of waste and the burning of waste.
The prosecution requested that three other counts would lie on file.
The waste, which included mattresses, electric waste and asbestos, was considered likely to cause pollution to the environment and harm human health.
Paul Stephens was sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment suspended for two years, with a curfew of 7pm to 7am for four months and 180 hours of unpaid work.
He was also disqualified from operating as a director for four years and ordered to clean up the waste from the site within 12 months.
Park Lane Financial Management Limited was fined a total of £90,000.
EA officers carrying out a site visit in 2023 observed a pile of waste 30 metres in length, including household waste in bin bags, stored on bare earth.
This meant that polluting substances could drain directly into the earth and enter the water table.
As part of the investigation, contractors carried out a survey to excavate parts of the site, identifying large quantities of buried construction and demolition waste including plastics, wood and metal.
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Area environment manager Tim De Winton of the Environment Agency said: "This is a case where waste was deliberately dumped, buried, and burned, with little regard for the impact on the environment.
"This verdict is a signal to illegal businesses – we will not let you get away with ignoring the rules which protect people, the environment, and legitimate business."
Waste Minister Emma Hardy said: "This is an outrageous case of illegal dumping, orchestrated by an individual who had no regard for the local community in Cornwall.
"We are targeting the perpetrators that fuel waste crime, making over 30 arrests since April. This verdict sends a clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide."
This work comes as the Environment Agency continue to deliver on waste crime through the government's Waste Crime Action Plan, and the Environment Agency's 10 Point Plan.
If anyone suspects that waste crime is taking place in their community, contact the EA's 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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