Forest scanned for illegal waste

The waste was dumped on land within the boundary of the national park

A New Forest field is to be scanned by the Environment Agency in a search for illegally buried waste .

Experts will use geophysics technology to survey the field near Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne, where the material was dumped in 2006.

The landowner and a construction firm have already been fined for depositing the unauthorised waste.

The agency will return next week with excavation equipment to carry out further investigations.

The Environment Agency said the material, which included building waste, was placed on the site in 2006 and a stream diverted in an attempt to raise the land above the level of a natural flood plain.

No control

Some of the material has since been removed but the agency believes more is buried on the site.

The agency brought the matter to court in 2007 because planning permission and environmental permits had not been sought and there was no control over the type of waste deposited.

Our action should send out a clear message to those who might be tempted to dump waste illegally James Humphrys, Environment Agency

Concerns were raised by the agency about the potential for harmful waste material to enter the stream.

Landowner Kenneth Lovett was fined £3,550 and ordered to pay £2,375 costs by Lyndhurst magistrates in May 2007 and June 2008 for offences relating to flood risk, illegal deposit of waste, and environmental protection.

Swanwick Construction, one of the companies delivering waste to the site, was fined a total of £5,000 and £2,100 costs by Southampton Crown Court in February 2009.

The company was prosecuted for the unauthorised deposit of waste and failing to comply with an Environment Agency notice requesting information.

James Humphrys, area manager for the Environment Agency's Solent and South Downs area, said: "When waste was dumped in the field three years ago we prosecuted the landowner for breaching several environmental laws.

"The National Park Authority also issued a notice, requiring him to have all waste removed from his site.

"Whilst some waste material has already been removed from the site we are working to ascertain how much, if any, is still below the surface. Any waste material remaining on site will be removed.

"Our action should send out a clear message to those who might be tempted to dump waste illegally.

"We have the technology to locate waste even when it is buried below the ground and we will not hesitate to prosecute those whose actions harm the environment."