A LANDOWNER has been fined £15,000 after he damaged a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Cornwall by permitting the importation of waste without permission.

Martin McAnulty, of London Road, Berkhamsted, has also been ordered to pay costs of £14,032.05 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

He appeared before Plymouth Magistrates for sentencing after pleading guilty to two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and one under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at a hearing in July.

The prosecution was brought by the Environment Agency and Natural England following a two-year investigation, which found McAnulty had imported waste and landscaped wet woodland and grassland within the Mid-Cornwall Moors SSSI at land off Gully’s Lane, St Dennis.

He did so without the necessary environmental permit, and the waste included material with elevated sulphur levels and waste which had visible contaminants including small pieces of wood, plastic and metal.

McAnulty was served with a notice by the Environment Agency in October 2023, requiring the removal of the waste but he failed to comply.

The Mid-Cornwall Moors SSSI supports a diverse mix of semi-natural habitats, including heaths, fens, grasslands, woodlands, scrub and species-rich hedgerows, with ponds and waterways. Rare species include the Cornish eyebright flower and marsh fritillary butterfly.

Alongside the fine, the court granted Natural England a restoration order, requiring McAnulty to restore the land to its former condition as wet woodland and grassland by January 31, 2027, removing all waste materials and then allowing natural habitat to return. If he fails to comply with the court order, he faces a further fine plus an additional £100 fine for each day the order is not complied with.

The court heard that a visit by a Natural England officer revealed that the site was covered in imported material, which had raised the ground level by approximately two metres. Trees had also been removed near the site entrance.

A U1 waste exemption had been registered with the Environment Agency by McAnulty in April 2021. This stated that a sloping field was being landscaped for maintenance purposes. U1 exemptions allow the use of certain types and quantities of waste for use in construction work or activities. It does not include the use of waste for landscaping of agricultural land or reclamation.

In a letter to the Environment Agency, McAnulty said he had carried out landscaping works to improve the environment for wildlife, and he had believed the imported soil fell under the exemption. He said no further work had been carried out since he learned of the issue and he apologised unreservedly for what had happened.

District Judge Smith said: “McAnulty was aware of the SSSI but failed to have oversight of the waste importation operations. The SSSI should have been a big red flag. There is the potential to destroy the site if restoration is not successful.”

Matt Heard, of Natural England, said following the hearing: “We will not hesitate to take targeted enforcement action against those who cause damage to these protected areas.”