Family members pleads guilty to running illegal waste business in Cornwall

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Eight members of a family have pleaded guilty to running a complex series of illegal waste businesses near St Austell, Cornwall.

In a case brought by the Environment Agency, and Devon and Cornwall Police, it was revealed that several thousands tonnes of waste was dumped on land at Rocks Farm, Bugle, between 2003 and 2011. Waste was burned, sorted and recycled on the site as well as a caravan letting business.

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Aerial photos taken in 1999 and 2009 revealed an increase in the amount of waste at the site. The illegal waste transfer station handled thousands of tonnes of waste per year. Skips were used to import waste including soil, wood and metal for recycling or disposal.

The Environment Agency estimates that 4,500 cubic metres of waste had been landfilled on the site, despite no planning permission from Cornwall County Council or permit from the Environment Agency being in place.

A search warrant was executed by police and the Environment Agency in June 2011, and a number of arrests were made.

Environment Agency spokesman Andy Gardiner said: “After a lengthy and complicated investigation jointly undertaken by the Environment Agency and Devon and Cornwall Police, eight people have pleaded guilty to environmental offences and the sentencing has been adjourned for eight months.”

Leeroy Buckland, Shane Buckland, James Crocker and Karl Buckland all pleaded guilty to depositing waste without a permit at Truro Crown Court.

Shirley Buckland pleaded guilty to knowingly permitting the deposit of waste without a permit while Roseanne Buckland, Jason Buckland and Paul Crocker pleaded guilty to the keeping, treating, recycling and/or disposal of waste without a permit.