A Newbury man has been ordered to pay over £1,300 at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court after waste was found fly-tipped in Apsley Lane in Hurstbourne Priors.

 

David Berridge, of West Street, Newbury, trading as ‘The Van of Dave’ was prosecuted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and appeared in court on Friday 7 August. He was sentenced for two offences relating to his responsibility to ensure that waste removed by his company was transferred and disposed of correctly. He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

 

The council’s investigation found that a bin store at Kingman Way, Newbury was cleared in early August 2023 on behalf of Sovereign Housing Group. Mr Berridge, who holds a waste carrier licence, was subcontracted to do the work.

 

Waste removed from the bin store was found among other items that were dumped on Monday 21 August 2023 at Apsley Lane on the border of Basingstoke and Deane and Test Valley. The waste included wood and a white drawer unit as well as correspondence linking the fly-tip to the clearance at Kingman Way.

 

A waste transfer note relating to the Kingman Way removal was found to be incomplete. The documentation also did not identify the disposal facility used and could not be matched to any disposal receipts or weighbridge records. Despite the council’s further requests for documentation, none were forthcoming.

 

The court ordered Mr Berridge to pay fines amounting to £130, a victim surcharge of £52 and prosecution costs of £1,190.

 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing Cllr Laura James said: “This case demonstrates that responsibility for the lawful disposal of waste stays with the waste carrier licence holder, even if they were not directly involved in removing the waste. 

 

“It is a reminder to all those that operate licenced waste removal activities that we will take enforcement action where we find that waste has not been disposed of correctly.”

 

There is information on how to dispose of unwanted items on the council’s website: www.basingstoke.gov.uk/a-z-waste-and-recycling