Businessman fined £4,000 over illegal waste in countryside

Rubbish was brought to him by companies trying to dodge costs

A businessman who stockpiled more than 30 tonnes of waste at an illegal Perthshire landfill has been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds of profits.

Alistair Roy’s sprawling, 17,000sq ft dump in a rural conservation area near Blairgowrie leaked waste into the River Tay.

Roy, of Marlee Mill, Blairgowrie, admitted illegally keeping controlled waste between April 2015 and early February 2016.

He also admitted that in the same period he burnt waste illegally, deposited it on land at the same address and into a waterway.

The 41-year-old was fined £4,000 and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work. The Crown has claimed back £2,500 from Roy through a proceeds of crime confiscation order.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how Roy set up an illegal dump with waste brought to him by companies that wanted to avoid paying normal disposal costs.

The dump was near a partiallycompleted house just outside Blairgowrie, on land known as Winterpark.

A lot of the rubbish – an estimated

“We hope this successful prosecution sends a strong message to everybody operating in Scotland. SEPA

10 tonnes – was burned on the site.

Roy piled up the rubbish, including white goods and asbestos sheeting and some of the waste was dropped into the nearby water course, a tributary of the Tay.

Sepa investigating officer Calum Mcgregor said: “Mr Roy was essentially running Winterpark as an illegal landfill site and waste transfer station.

“Sepa would never have permitted the waste to be burnt in an open bonfire.”

Roy did not have a waste management licence for the site which would allow such waste to be kept there.

The prosecution comes just over a year after another man, Derek Mollison, was fined £4,000 for illegal transport and disposal of waste in the Blairgowrie area.

The action has been welcomed by bosses at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), who investigated the case.

Chief executive Terry A’hearn said: “Illegitimate operators and waste carriers like Mr Roy and Mr Mollison not only risk our environment with their illegal behaviour, they also undercut compliant operators by flouting the regulations.

“We are disappointed that these activities took place, despite the best efforts of Sepa officers, but we are pleased they have been held to account.”

Mr A’hearn added: “We hope this successful prosecution sends a strong message to everybody operating in Scotland.

“Sepa is here to make sure that action will be taken if you don’t pay attention to your environmental responsibilities.”

jabuchan@thecourier.co.uk

The illegal landfill at Blairgowrie operated by Alistair Roy. He has been fined £4,000 at Perth Sheriff Court after admitting charges over the dump.