Directors of Hunter Group Found Guilty and Penned for Waste Mismanagement at Huddersfield Fire Station

Huddersfield Waste Disposal Fire Leads to Severe Consequences for Directors

In August 2016, a fire broke out at a site on Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield, resulting in a significant environmental impact. The cause of the fire was traced back to large piles of waste, despite the site holding a permit stating no waste should be left on the premises.

The West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and the Environment Agency, along with Kirklees Council, had taken previous action against the waste disposal by Samuel Hunter, 31, and Jacinta Hunter, 59, who are directors of The Hunter Group, a commercial and leisure company. Despite repeated warnings, the Hunters continued to bring waste onto the site, posing a risk to the environment and contributing to the fire that affected the surrounding community and businesses.

The fire was still smouldering on 30 August 2016, and it took the local authority until March 2017 to remove all the waste from the site to reduce the risk of ongoing fires. The total amount paid by Kirklees Council for the clearance of the site was £1,142,131.

The authorities' actions did not go unnoticed. Samuel Hunter and Jacinta Hunter were sentenced to a 24-month custodial sentence and a 12-month sentence respectively, suspended for two years. They were also ordered to complete community service hours. Samuel Hunter was ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, which is the maximum a court can order, while Jacinta must complete 80 hours.

Ben Hocking, Yorkshire Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, stated that the seriousness of the sentence sends a message that waste crime will not be tolerated. The images for this article are provided by the Environment Agency and Cullan Smith.

The waste pile was so extensive that it pushed against a perimeter fence, which was broken in places. A large amount of runoff had accumulated behind a nearby glass factory, posing a risk of overflowing into the river or flooding the building. To tackle this, the fire service deployed a pump to move the runoff onto the access road so it would flow into the sewer network, resulting in the road being closed for the entire day on 19 August 2016.

Despite the order to remove the waste and repair the fences, return inspections showed no improvements had been made. The authorities incurred significant clear-up costs as a result of the fire and waste disposal.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of illegal waste disposal and the importance of adhering to environmental regulations.

Directors of Hunter Group Found Guilty and Penned for Waste Mismanagement at Huddersfield Fire Station