Developer given suspended jail sentence over 25,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste near Newquay

A Cornwall developer has received a four-month curfew and has been ordered to clean up an illegal waste dump that they caused near Newquay, following an Environment Agency prosecution.

The court heard that Paul Stephens, 58, of Malpas, Truro, as the director of Park Lane Financial Management Limited, deposited at least 25,000 tonnes of waste on land in Hendra Croft, Scotland Road. 

Park Lane Financial Management Limited pleaded guilty to three environmental offences committed between November 2018 and July 2025, two for operating of an illegal waste site, and one for the burning of waste. 

The director of the company, Paul Stephens, pleaded guilty to the illegal deposit of waste and the burning of waste. 

The prosecution requested that three other counts would lie on file.  

The waste, which included mattresses, electric waste and asbestos, was considered likely to cause pollution to the environment and harm human health. 

Paul Stephens was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years, with a curfew of 7pm-7am for 4 months and 180 hours of unpaid work. 

He was also disqualified from operation as a director for four years and ordered to clean up the waste from the site within 12 months. 

Park Lane Financial management Limited was fined a total of £90,000. 

Officers on a site visit in 2023 observed a pile of waste 30 meters in length including household waste in bin bags, stored on bare earth. 

This meant that polluting substances could drain directly into the earth and enter the water table. 

As part of the investigation, contractors carried out a survey to excavate parts of the site, identifying large quantities of buried construction and demolition waste including plastics, wood and metal. 

Waste Minister Emma Hardy said:

"This is an outrageous case of illegal dumping, orchestrated by an individual who had no regard for the local community in Cornwall. 

"We are targeting the perpetrators that fuel waste crime, making over 30 arrests since April. This verdict sends a clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide."

Area Environment Manager Tim De Winton of the Environment Agency said: 

“This is a case where waste was deliberately dumped, buried, and burned, with little regard for the impact on the environment. 

“Today’s verdict is a signal to illegal businesses – we will not let you get away with ignoring the rules which protect people, the environment, and legitimate business."