Man facing jail over illegal tip

COURT: Waste leaked from rubbish dump into river

A businessman who created a sprawling illegal landfill site in Perthshire faces prison and financial ruin.

Alistair Roy’s 1,600 square metre rubbish dump in a rural conservation area leaked waste into a tributary of the River Tay near Blairgowrie.

Despite repeated warnings, the 41-year-old fencer continued to add to the 30 tonnes of white goods, building materials and asbestos sheeting on an area equivalent to a quarter of a football pitch.

Perth Sheriff Court heard he would burn much of the waste, brought to him by firms seeking to avoid the cost of proper disposal.

He also kept farm animals in a dilapidated caravan on the site.

The Crown believes he profited from the venture and has raised a proceeds of crime action to claw back tens of thousands of pounds.

Roy, 41, admitted various offences and will be sentenced at a later date.

A fencer who stockpiled more than 30 tonnes of waste on an illegal landfill site has been warned he faces being sent to prison.

Alistair Roy, 41, burned items including fridges, freezers and asbestos sheeting and allowed the waste to enter a tributary of the River Tay.

Roy set up the illicit dump on a protected conservation area and waste was found covering an area amounting to 1,600 square metres.

Perth Sheriff Court was told he also allowed livestock to live in a caravan at the site and the waste covered an area equivalent to a quarter of a football pitch.

Roy, Winter Park, Marlee Mill, Blairgowrie, admitted treating waste illegally by burning it and depositing on land and in the waterway at that site in 2015.

He also admitted illegally keeping controlled waste at the farm. That included plastic, bricks, metal, soil, cardboard, furniture, asbestos sheeting, electrical goods, glass, clothing and Tarmac.

Depute fiscal Lisa Marshall told the court: “The keeping of waste in this manner is wholly illegal. A waste management license would never have been granted in this case.

“The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said it looked like a landfill site. Waste was spread over 1,600 square metres – around a quarter of a football pitch.

“The water way is the Lunan Burn, which is a tributary of the River Tay and a special area of conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

“Waste was stored in piles and some was dropped directly into the water course.”

Mrs Marshall said businesses were avoiding paying for the proper disposal of their waste by taking it along to Roy’s site and dumping it there instead.

“They were avoiding legitimate disposal costs and that allowed them to undercut rival operators. The accused had agreements with people to bring waste to the site.”

She said the Crown believed Roy was profiting from the site and a Proceeds of Crime action has been raised to claw back tens of thousands of pounds

Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said Roy denied making any profit from the dump.

He said Roy had started building a house for him and his wife, but the couple split before it was complete, and he was suffering financial problems.

Sheriff William Wood raised the possibility of imposing a custodial term and deferred sentence on Roy for the preparation of background reports.

Waste was spread over an area of around a quarter of a football pitch. DEPUTE FISCAL LISA MARSHALL

Alistair Roy arriving at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday.