Pensioner told to pay more than £2,500 because of the state of his garden

A pensioner has been forced to pay more than £2,500 after piling up his garden with scrap metal – including several cars. Ivor Salter, 77, stored vehicles and end-of-life parts, mixed metal and electronic equipment, alongside commercial and general household waste.

Environment Agency officers visited the site at Otterford Caravan Park in Culmhead, Somerset, in January 2023. They tried to secure the voluntary disposal of the waste and Salter said he wanted to clean up the site.

However, this did not happen and officers issued him with a notice – which gave him until the end of 2023. But in January this year, officers returned to the site and found waste still present, including a large amount of scrap metal. and vehicles, gas cylinders, batteries, wood, tires, debris, and commercial and household waste, some of which was in boxes.

In addition, there was a smell of oil contamination in one area. Since then, the site has been virtually cleared of waste.

Last week, Taunton Magistrates’ Court heard that the site had a T9 waste exemption in place registered in the name of Ivor Salter. This only allowed scrap metal to be recovered. It also had an S1 exemption which allowed the waste to be stored in secure containers and an S2 exemption which allowed the waste to be kept in a secure place.

Exemption T9 allowed certain types and quantities of scrap, except for old vehicles, to be treated in a place with sealed drainage to prevent liquid from escaping. Salter admitted two counts of failing to comply with notices requiring waste to be removed from his land.

He was fined £600 for each offense and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £480 victim surcharge. The Environment Agency’s Chris Lawson said following the case: “Waste exemptions have strict limits and conditions that must be met to protect the environment.

“If we issue a notice to clean up waste from a site and you fail to comply, you risk prosecution, fines and criminal charges.”