Horse riding site owner fined £13k over inspection

Environment Agency officers inspected after being told waste was being tipped on land at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre

The owner of a caravan park and equestrian centre has been ordered to pay more than £13,000 after preventing government officers carrying out inspections.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it received information in August 2023 that waste was being tipped on land at Golden Valley Equestrian Centre, near Alfreton, Derbyshire.

During visits on 11 and 16 August last year, site owner Darren Lee Fretwell was "extremely abusive and hostile" towards EA officers while preventing them carrying out duties, said the authority.

At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court, Fretwell was ordered to pay £13,509 after admitting two charges of obstructing an authorised person in the execution of his powers.

Behaviour was 'unacceptable'

The EA said on 11 August, an unmarked eight-wheel tipper lorry that had left waste on site failed to stop when instructed by an officer after Fretwell told the driver not to.

During the same visit, the 58-year-old also refused to allow excavators at the site to scrape back top layers of soil to examine what had been deposited beneath.

Fretwell then would not provide waste transfer notes relating to rubbish which had been brought on to site, said the EA.

On 16 August, the officers returned at the invitation of Fretwell.

During the inspection, officers needed to visit a neighbouring site - Wallis Gorse, in Long Lane, Golden Valley - also owned by Fretwell.

Despite Fretwell's resistance, officers went to Wallis Gorse, but he refused to provide waste transfer notes or delivery tickets relating to piles of sand containing shredded tyre rubber.

In mitigation, Fretwell, of Golden Valley Caravan Park, Alfreton, said he recognised his behaviour was unacceptable, said the EA.

A spokesperson for the EA said: "This behaviour was totally unacceptable.

"Officers were carrying out their lawful duties to establish whether the site was acting in accordance with environmental regulations.

"Hostile, abusive or obstructive behaviour such as that demonstrated in this case will not deter us from exercising our powers to protect the environment and communities and ensure a level playing field across the industries we regulate."