Illegal waste site cleared of tonnes of rubbish

An illegal waste site in Bradford has been cleared of tonnes of rubbish after the owner was fined and ordered to act by a court.

Andrew Leadbeater, 57, was told to remove waste from land in Wyke by 17 June after he admitted operating a waste site without a permit and failing to comply with a notice from the Environment Agency.

The site on Wyke Lane has since been fully cleared, with materials including timber, mixed household waste and fire-damaged trailers removed.

Ben Hocking, from the Environment Agency, said: "Illegal waste operations like this have a negative impact on residents' lives and I'm pleased this site has now been fully cleared."

At Kirklees Magistrates' Court in April, Leadbeater was handed a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay more than £6,000 in costs.

In June 2023, Leadbeater told the council some of the waste had been fly-tipped on his land and admitted to burning it. He said he would stop burning and arrange for the site to be cleared.

A year later, Leadbeater contacted the council to complain further fly-tipping had taken place and the council referred the case to the Environment Agency.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Environment Agency officers reported seeing large quantities of waste, including paints, engine oils and tyres during a visit in 2024.

Leadbeater said he was aware of the materials, but did not know who had dumped them.

Follow-up inspections in November 2024 and March 2025 found nothing had been removed.

The Environment Agency then issued a notice requiring the land to be cleared by 22 September 2025, which was not complied with.

Leadbeater also failed to attend an interview with the agency the following month.

Hocking added: "This is an example of how the Environment Agency is cracking down on waste crime across the sector and will always take action against those who break the law.

"It is important that anyone who has information about unlawful waste activity reports it to us as soon as possible so we can investigate and hold perpetrators to account."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.