Colin Barnes was given a 6-month prison sentence and a Criminal Behaviour Order for storing scrap cars and parts without a permit.
A Dereham garage owner who repeatedly ignored Environment Agency warnings about storing end of life vehicles (ELVs) and parts has been jailed.
Colin Barnes of Podmore Lane, Scarning, Norfolk, was handed a 6-month jail sentence at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on 15 July 2022 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs.
The site remained a risk to the environment and undermined competitors.
The 65 year old was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), which sets out a series of legally-binding conditions he must adhere to or face further punishment.
In November 2021, he pleaded guilty to storing ELVs and parts without a permit at his premises. Barnes was given a suspended sentence of 16 weeks for those offences, on the condition he remained offence free. The court also made a Remediation Order that he must clear the waste from his site by mid-January 2022 or face immediate imprisonment.
Barnes operated at a commercial advantage, undermining legitimate business with little or no regard for the environment or residents.
Following the expiry of the Remediation Order in January 2022, Environment Agency officers inspected the site and found it had not been cleared. They found more ELVs and various car parts including gearboxes, suspension units, and tyres stored at the site.
Environment Agency prosecutor Sarah Dunne said: “Barnes had been given chance after chance to clear the waste and to work with the Environment Agency.
“The site remained a risk to the environment and undermined competitors who operated within the law.”
East Anglia Area Enforcement Team Leader, Lesley Robertson, said: “Despite the court imposing a suspended custodial sentence and Order in November 2021 to remove waste from his site, Mr Barnes continued to store and treat waste illegally without an environmental permit.
“Barnes operated at a commercial advantage, undermining legitimate business with little or no regard for the environment or residents. By imposing this prison sentence, CBO and £5,000 costs, the District Judge demonstrated how seriously they viewed Mr Barnes’ activities and behaviour.”
