Lissa Appleby was found guilty at Cannock Magistrates Court and fined £550.
The verdict came earlier this month after officers from the Environment Agency visited Lissa’s home in Anslow near Burton-upon-Trent back in October 2023. The visit came following calls from locals regarding waste issues.
Lissa’s property, which was rented at Mill Farm, consisted of a house, large grounds and a barn. However, several hundred tonnes of dry shredded waste also covered the area. It was comprised of plastic sheeting, plastic textiles, metals, wood and cardboard.
After a period of rainfall, Lissa was originally asked to move the waste inside the barn as a temporary measure in a bid to stop further leachate contamination, which occurs when a toxic liquid seeps out of landfills and pollutes surrounding soil, surface water and groundwater.
Against this backdrop, the Environment Agency believed Lissa was operating an illegal waste site and issued a letter to immediately cease activities. Upon discovery, Lissa was also told to hire an environmental specialist to remove the waste from her home.
However, after several follow up visits – the latest one occurred in February last year – members of the Environment Agency found the waste still remained. What’s worse, Lissa moved out of the property in January 2024 and promised she would move the waste.
‘The site posed a significant environmental threat due to the high risk of fire and potential impact to local communities and amenities,’ a spokesperson from the Environment Agency said. ‘As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue people that fail to meet their obligations.
‘Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment, harm human health and undermine local legitimate waste companies.’
Ultimately, Lissa pled guilty to a single offence at Cannock Magistrates Court on 4th March 2025 and was ordered to pay £770 overall. £550 was issued as a result of the crime and Lissa was also ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge of £220.
News of the verdict has come as media attention of toxic landfill sites has ramped up since the show ‘Toxic Town’ premiered on Netflix last month. The limited series tells the story of the Corby mothers who gave birth to disabled children as a result of inhaling toxic pollutants coming from a nearby steelworks site. Our sister title Air Quality News has published more on the show.
Photo by Collab Media via UnSplash
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