Farmer Admits Guilt to Polluting Land with Contaminated Compost

A farmer has been found to have contaminated his land with “heavily contaminated” compost that he produced himself. William Clarke, residing at The Dales in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, admitted guilt to five charges. These charges included failing to adhere to environmental permit regulations at Soars Lodge Farm, located on Foston Road. The Environment Agency (EA), the prosecuting body in Clarke’s case, stated that the compost he produced was improperly made and contained contaminants such as plastics, metal, textiles, rubber, and treated wood. On 12 December, the 54-year-old received a suspended prison sentence at Leicester Magistrates’ Court and was mandated to clear the waste from the premises within a three-year timeframe. Concerns at the farm came to the attention of EA officers following complaints from local residents regarding significant amounts of litter. An audit of the composting and landspreading activities at the location was initiated in April 2018 as a consequence of these complaints. Environmental permits governed these operations, permitting the composting of green waste and wood that had not been treated. The agency reported that Clarke also took in waste materials not permitted, such as wood covered in plastic or treated with paint and preservatives. In April 2019, an enforcement notice was issued, instructing Clarke to cease accepting treated wood waste and to remove any existing treated wood from the site; however, he did not comply with this directive. Clarke admitted guilt in March to the violations that took place between 26 April 2018 and 15 May 2020. His sentence comprised nine weeks in prison, suspended for one year. The EA stated that Clarke disavowed responsibility for operating the site, attributing blame to his deceased father, David Clarke, who owned Soars Lodge Farm and was a joint holder of both environmental permits alongside him. The EA further noted that Mr Clarke passed away during the investigation period, and the judge determined that his son was responsible for the daily management of the composting activities. Soars Lodge Farm is currently the subject of a planning application submitted to Blaby District Council for the establishment of a solar farm. The clean-up operation is required to be finished by 12:00 GMT on 12 December 2027. The agency reported that the judge mandated the waste removal to be completed prior to any development commencing on the property. Iain Regan, EA senior environmental crime officer, said: “The defendant ignored our concerns and refused to act on the extensive advice we gave him to improve his operation, and that has resulted in these convictions.”