STORY
Bardsey Tree Services Ltd and its director, Andrew Richard Ward, have been fined for illegally burning waste on rural land near Wetherby, West Yorkshire. The Environment Agency prosecuted the company and Ward after multiple warnings were ignored. At York Magistrates’ Court on 10 April, both parties pleaded guilty to two offences of burning waste between August 2023 and August 2024. The company was fined £2,500, ordered to pay £3,000 in costs, and a £1,000 victim surcharge. Ward received a personal fine of £960, with £1,274.50 in costs and a £384 surcharge.
The offences occurred on land leased by the company off Compton Lane. In August 2023, Environment Agency officers observed a fire burning mixed waste, including wood, soil, rubble, and metal. Despite being instructed to cease activities and clear the site, the company registered a waste exemption two months later, permitting the burning of certain green waste under specific conditions. However, in July 2024, officers witnessed another fire emitting thick grey smoke, containing plastics, treated wood, metal, and aerosol canisters—materials not covered by the exemption. Further warnings were issued, but the illegal burning persisted.
Ian Foster, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, stated:
“Burning waste on land can have a significant impact on the environment and local communities. Our officers made it clear to the defendants multiple times that the activity on site was illegal, but this was ignored. I hope this sends out a message to others about just how important it is to follow regulations to protect the environment and ensure businesses aren’t in breach of the law.”