Waste bosses sentenced over 2000-ton rubbish mound in Dudley

The eyesore at Rowanoak Waste Services in Shaw Road, Dudley, off the Dudley Southern Bypass, attracted complaints about stench, noise and pollution.

Dust covered vehicles while debris blocked guttering and affected nearby factories, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Enforcement notices were slapped on the firm but its directors took no notice.

The site was abandoned in 2016 with a significant amount of waste removed in 2017.

Rowanoak Waste Services Ltd, based at Kingswinford, and 60-year-old director Kevin Allan of Roundway Down, Perton, were found guilty of failing to make sure the Shaw Road site was operated in accordance with the conditions of permit and compliance notices.

Miss Nicola Talbot-Hadley, defending Allan, said: “This has been hanging over Mr Allan for some two years.

"This has been an enormous trial for him and he has lost his good standing within the community.”

Judge Dean Kershaw handed Allan a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, 100 hours of unpaid work, disqualified him from being a director for three years and ordered him to pay £40,000 costs.

Community order

Another director Randle Hawkins, 59, from Quarry Brow, Upper Gornal, was convicted of non-compliance with a revocation notice but cleared of four other charges relating to breach of permit conditions and enforcement notice.

Mr Regan Peggs, on behalf of Hawkins, said: "Mr Hawkins was not in control of that site or that company."

He was given a community order and told to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a three-year disqualification as a director and told to pay £1,000 in costs.

Mak Waste Ltd of Bloxwich, which also operated at the site, and its 28-year-old director Brian McIntosh, of Adams Hill, Bartley Green, earlier admitted their part in the failure to comply with permit conditions.

Miss Ramya Nagesh, on behalf of McIntosh, said: "He was at the time 24 years of age, the first time director of a company.

"He is working and has two young sons and volunteers for a boxing club."

McIntosh was given a 10-month term suspended for 12 months, 150 hours unpaid work, five years disqualification as a director and ordered to pay £1,200 costs.

'Woefully inadequate'

Rowanoak Waste Services Limited was fined £25,000 and Mak Waste £18,000.

Judge Kershaw added: "Mr Allan, you had woefully inadequate systems as a director in place, at trial you showed no remorse.

"Mr Hawkins, you were deliberately hoodwinking the Environment Agency.

"Mr McIntosh, you were on site, hands-on with the waste that was coming in and out.

"Mattresses were all over the yard, the smell was unbearable. Officers would wretch when they visited.

"Neighbouring properties had to keep their windows shut in summer and a fire safety officer said it was vulnerable to arson attacks."

Edward Venables, formerly Boulton, 28, from Adams Hill, Brierley Hill, also a director of Mak Waste, was previously found not guilty of all three charges against him.