10:19am Thursday 9th September 2010
By Julian Robinson
A LANDOWNER has been fined more than £3,000 for failing to clear an illegal dump in a Hampshire village.
Kenneth Lovett admitted breaching an order to remove thousands of cubic metres of waste from land at Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne.
Now, the 58-year-old has been hit with a hefty fine after ignoring calls to clear the tip and failing to return it to its original state.
However the sentence, handed out at New Forest Magistrates’ Court, has done little to appease neighbours of the Lovetts, who say the fine will not improve the situation.
The verdict came just months after experts warned that the tip is likely to produce methane, an extremely combustible substance capable of seeping into surrounding properties and triggering a blast.
There is even a risk that asbestos could be buried among the rubbish.
The saga began four years ago when 12,000 cubic metres of waste was dumped on the land, in the New Forest National Park.
Magistrates heard how, despite attempts by the defendant to remove some of the material, a further 600 lorry loads may be needed to completely clear the site.
The court was told that although Mr Lovett intended to remove the tip, it would cost him a further £300,000 to finish the job – cash he does not have.
Originally he was due to appear before magistrates along with his wife Jacqueline, 57, and daughter Michelle, 33.
But before the sentencing, Mr Lovett took responsibility for the situation and the case against the rest of his family was discontinued.
He was ordered to pay a £3,000 fine and court cost of £650. An enforcement order to remove the waste and return it to its original state is still in place.
New Forest National Park Authority (NPA), which brought the prosecution against Mr Lovett, may consider further court proceedings if the order is ignored.
After the case, Ruth Farmers, one of the people living next to the land, said: “This sentence is no satisfaction to us, because the waste material is still in the field.”
Mr Lovett used the rubbish to raise the level of his land and prevent it flooding.
Earlier this year he warned that his family would have to sell their house, leaving them homeless, if they had to pay part of the bill.
Apologising to his neighbours he said allowing a waste contractor to dump the material was “the stupidest decision of my life”.
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