A man has been handed a 12 month community order and fined £200 after he dumped a load of rubbish on the street. Liam Budds was prosecuted by South Gloucestershire Council for waste offences following the discovery of fly-tipping in the local area.
Budds, 30, of Coniston Road, Patchway first appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on Monday, December 9, where he pleaded guilty to fly-tipping and transporting waste without the correct paperwork. The case was adjourned for reports and sentencing until Monday, January 20, where he was handed a 12 month Community Order and ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the council.
Budds was also given a nine month mental health treatment requirement including 10 days rehabilitation activity. The court heard that on February 1 a fly-tip consisting of 10 black bin bags full of household waste was discovered strewn along Commonmead Lane in Old Sodbury.
According to South Gloucestershire Council documentation in the name of a Yate resident was found amongst the waste. The resident provided a witness statement stating that in early January 2024 she posted a request on Facebook for recommendations of someone that did rubbish clearances. Liam Budds responded to this request and the pair exchanged messages before Budds subsequently attended the Yate address on 31 January 2024 and removed a quantity of black bags of household waste for the agreed price of £40.
On Wednesday, June 19, Budds was interviewed under caution by environmental enforcement officers at the council offices in Yate. During the interview Budds was shown images of the waste and messages along with a screenshot of a post from Liam Budds’ Facebook page dated January 3, 2024, advertising that he is undertaking rubbish removals. Budds admitted to removing the rubbish with a friend, using that friend’s van.
He stated this was not a business, but a service provided to friends with costs to cover petrol money. He stated all waste would have been taken to the recycling centre in Yate and the van belonged to his friend, who may have dumped the waste when Budds was not with him, the council said.
Budds could not provide any details of his friend or the van at this time but said he was willing to obtain them for the investigation. Despite numerous requests, Budds has not provided any details of his friend or the van.
On August 13, a written requirement to provide South Gloucestershire Council with a Registered Waste Carrier’s Licence and Waste Transfer Notes (valid between January 30, 2024 and February 7, 2024) was sent to Budds. He was required to produce these documents when attending for a further interview on August 21. Budds failed to attend the interview on August 21, and again on September 6 and September 13, and did not provide any of the requested information and documentation.
Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member responsible for environmental enforcement at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I hope this latest prosecution acts as a deterrent to anyone who fails in their duty of care for waste disposal. There is no excuse for fly-tipping and harming the environment.
“Residents are advised to be wary of businesses or people advertising waste clearances on social media sites such as Facebook. There are a number of legitimate options for waste removal, including the council’s large household waste collection service. If you hire a third-party to dispose of your waste, always ask for a copy of the company’s waste carrier registration certificate and ask where the waste is being taken.
“Prosecutions like these protect our environment and create cleaner and safer places for our communities. These are key priorities of the Liberal Democrat/ Labour partnership.”