• Birmingham Magistrates Court imposes fines and costs totalling £7,752.85
• Defendant given 4 months to completely clear outstanding waste
• Plastics, metals and treated wood among waste found on land

Benjamin Summers ignored a formal Notice from the Environment Agency to remove the waste and also operated a waste facility without the necessary environmental permit.

At Birmingham Magistrates on Friday 21 March 2025, Benjamin Robert Summers, 80, of Pig Trot Lane, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, admitted the offences.

He was fined £1107 and ordered to pay costs of £6545.85.

Additionally, the magistrates imposed a Remediation Order of 4 months to completely clear any outstanding waste from the land.

Environment Agency investigation

The Environment Agency commenced an investigation in February 2023, having been notified by the Local Authority. They provided evidence that approximately 35 cubic metres of mixed waste was being stored on the land, made up of plastics, metal, treated wood and derivatives.

Between February 2023 and August 2023, Environment Agency officers made a total of 5 site visits and requested Summers to clear the waste. However, the waste remained on site and was added to over time. 

On 1 November 2023, a formal Notice was served on Summers to clear the waste by 1 January 2024.

On 9 January 2024, Environment Agency officers made a further site visit and discovered that no waste had been removed.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

The Environment Agency will pursue any person or company that fails to uphold the law to protect nature and will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties. 

Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and harm human health.    

If anyone has environmental concerns, they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111. 

The charges

1, Benjamin Summers, on 2 January 2024, being the occupier of land, namely Summerhill Cottage, Pig Trot Lane, Danzey Green, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, B94 5BJ failed without reasonable excuse to comply with a Notice dated 1st November 2023 to remove controlled waste from the land, contrary to sections 59ZB (2) and 59ZB (6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

2,  Benjamin Summers, prior to and between 17 February 2023 and 3 May 2024, operated a regulated facility on land at Summerhill Cottage, Pig Trot Lane, Danzey Green, Tanworth-in-Arden, Solihull, B94 5BJ which was not authorised by an Environmental Permit, namely a non- exempt waste operation involving the deposit, storage and disposal of waste, contrary to Regulations 12 (1)(a) and 38 (1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.