Legal News & Expert Insights

Waste crime includes a wide range of illegal activities such as the unlawful disposal or burning of waste, the illegal export of waste, the misdescription of waste, the operation of illegal waste sites and breaches of environmental permits, amongst others. The Environment Agency (EA) has many responsibilities, including regulating major industry and waste activities, the […]

An Environmental Permit or Licence is required if a business undertakes an activity that could pollute the air, water or land, or increase flood risk or cause other environmental impacts. Operations such as a large chicken farm, a scrap or breakers yard or a petrol station present a risk of pollution or environmental harm, which […]

The recent case of Howells v Newport City Council [2025] ECCH 22 highlights that waste collected by a local authority immediately comes under the ownership of that authority. Consequently, the authority bears no obligation to return any part of waste, whatever circumstances may subsequently arise. This harsh reality was recently encountered by James Howells who […]

KANGS has successfully assisted a company director and his business against proceedings brought by the Environment Agency in relation to the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (‘the Act’). A company that acquired land from a waste management firm soon found itself facing a significant environmental clean-up. This unexpected challenge brought both financial and operational difficulties for […]

A ‘Stop notice’ is one which may be issued with the intent of prohibiting the carrying out of illegal activities on land. The Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 provides the civil powers and sanctions used by various regulatory bodies, including the Environment Agency, The Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010 (‘the Order’). John Veale of Kangs Solicitors […]

Kangs Solicitors has recently defended a client charged with five counts under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (‘the Regulations’) at St Albans Crown Court. John Veale, Partner and Head of Regulatory Law at Kangs Solicitors explains how this highly favourable result was achieved in this long running case in circumstances where our client faced, inter alia, a potential custodial sentence.