Landowners urged to avoid contamination by conmen

Landowners and farmers are being helped to guard against rogue dealers trying to sell contaminated waste material disguised as high-quality soil.

There have been around 50 cases in the last 12 months where landowners who thought they were buying soil actually ended up with material that was polluted or mainly building rubble – they had effectively paid for someone else’s waste, and caused potential damage to their own property too.

The message is simple – “don’t take a risk with your soil”.

Staffordshire’s planners are battling to stop the tipping of unauthorised and potentially contaminated materials. Their mission is to protect Staffordshire’s countryside for visitors and landowners alike.

Illegal tipping of waste and spoil can pollute the soil and water we all depend on for our food and water.

Planning Regulation Team leader Doug Walker said farmers were being misled – but that his team could help.

He said: “Con merchants could be trying to sell you a concoction of contaminated soils or rubble. You could be polluting your own land and breaking the law unwittingly too.”

“We need your help to stop the odd rogue from disposing of waste on the cheap and make sure that you can continue acting with confidence as the guardians of the land.”

Doug emphasised that landowners needed planning permission for the disposal of waste soils on land, waste transfer operations, recycling and composting, incineration and waste treatment.

“In general if you want to change the appearance of land or property and how you use it you will need to apply for planning permission. The law is there to protect legitimate operations and the quality of the land for the future. If in doubt just give us a ring,” he said