Annalong man fined £4,000 for waste offences

Mr Jonathan Irvine (55) of Longstone Road, Annalong, pleaded guilty at Newry Magistrates court today for breaches of waste legislation. He was fined £4,000 for a total of eight separate waste offences. The offences related to the unauthorised disposal on controlled waste at a site owned by Mr Irvine adjacent to 109 Longstone road, Annalong County Down.

The site was visited on various occasions from November 2017 to February 2019 by officers of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), during which controlled waste was found deposited in the site. The site did not have a licence from the NIEA to keep or treat controlled waste. Waste found included soil, metals, plastics, concrete and agricultural waste such as waste food, hedge cuttings and grass.

Mr Irvine became the registered owner of the site on the 20 March 2018 and since that date, a significant quantity of waste was deposited on the site. Additional waste was noted on the site during each subsequent site visit. He was issued a formal notice to remove the waste and further visits revealed that the waste was still in situ. Mr Irvine failed to respond to a request to be interviewed under caution and a prosecution file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service who commenced criminal proceedings against Mr Irvine.

Mr Irvine subsequently pleaded guilty to eight waste charges under The Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

Notes to editors: 

1. Mr Irvine pleaded guilty under the following Article of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997:

Four x Article 4(1)(a) relating to: the deposit of controlled waste, or knowingly causing the deposit of controlled waste in or on any land except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.

Four x Article 4(1)(b) relating to: the treating, keeping and disposal of controlled waste, or knowingly causing or knowingly permitting controlled waste to be treated, kept or disposed of in or on any land except under and in accordance with a waste management licence.

2. Each of the eight offences received a fine of £500 totalling £4,000.

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