Martyn Parratt, of Newnham, and the building contracting business he runs were investigated on two occasions by the Environment Agency (EA) after receiving a report he was operating on land beside a busy road. The EA attended the site after receiving a complaint in June 2017 about a deposit of waste off the A361 at Badby. Investigators that attended the site observed insulation waste, mixed wood and plasterboard.
Mr Parratt was advised to apply for a permit or cease processing the material. By August, the land had been all but cleared, however, by May 2019 crime officers returned to the site and identified various items that were not authorised to be there (given there was no permit in place), such as builders’ waste, wood, plastic, and a skip full of plasterboard. Investigators also found two ovens and a couple of refrigerators.
Mr Parratt blamed fly-tippers for the fridges and the ovens. He said his nephew was responsible for some of the new waste however he did admit his own company left some of the wood and plastic by the road. Although officers found traces of a fire under the waste, Parratt denied lighting any fires.
After more pressure from the EA the site was clear again in July 2019, but this was two years after the first investigation into illegal activity at the site.
Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court fined MJ Parratt and Son Ltd, based in Queensbridge, Northampton, £3,500, and Martyn Parratt, of The Green, Newnham, £1,467. The Environment Agency’s costs were split between them, with the company and Parratt paying £1,765.24 each. At the hearing on 18 January victim surcharges of £170 and £146 were awarded against MJ Parratt and Son Ltd and the managing director respectively.
MJ Parratt and Son Ltd pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to dumping and storing waste illegally, breaching regulation 13, contrary to regulations 12 and 38 (1) (a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Parratt admitted as company director to allowing the business to operate illegally, in breach of the same regulations. The Environment Agency investigated Martyn Parratt’s claims his nephew deposited some of the waste beside the A361. James Parratt, 32, of The Paddock, Welton, Northamptonshire, was given a formal caution for breaching environmental law.