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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports At Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 12 December 2024 These were related to offences committed at Soars Lodge Farm He received a 9 week period of imprisonment for each the court imposed a remediation order to deal with the land contamination which had arisen This was a result of processing green waste The court heard that the defendant pleaded guilty at a previous hearing on 3 July 2024 to the offences which occurred between 26 April 2018 and 15 May 2020 Officers from the Environment Agency were made aware of issues at the farm after nearby residents had complained regarding large quantities of litter This resulted in an audit in April 2018 of the composting and land spreading operations both of which were regulated by environmental permits The permits allowed the composting of green waste and untreated wood and the spreading of the resulting compost The site received green waste from kerbside collections from local councils and waste from household recycling centres The site also accepted green waste from tree surgeons and gardening businesses the compost produced did not meet the specification to be spread on the farm’s fields as a fertiliser substitute This was because it was contaminated and would cause pollution of the land The material was being inadequately composted and was heavily contaminated with plastics The court also heard that separated loose plastics were stored in such a way that they were allowed to escape across the surrounding countryside Contaminated compost had been spread onto and ploughed into the farmland It was also stockpiled illegally in windrows outside the permitted site The defendant told the officers that he used an automated system to record deliveries of waste because the waste reception area was only attended during less busy times The waste from the kerbside collections and from household waste recycling centres was contaminated with black bin bag waste Clarke was also accepting unauthorised waste types and wood treated with paint and preservatives An enforcement notice was served on 12 April 2019 requiring the defendant to stop accepting treated wood waste and to remove any treated wood already on site Clarke later applied for permission to spread the compost onto his fields Although he had declared the stockpiles as free of any contamination forensic analysis by the Environment Agency found that all 44 of the samples taken failed The court was told that litter pollution from the composting was so bad hedgerows and ditches looked like motorway verges Environment Agency officers witnessed lambs chewing fragments of waste textiles on one of the illegal compost stockpiles District Judge Nick Watson heard that the Environment Agency was so concerned about the contamination of the fields and surrounding environment that it was applying to the court for a Remediation Order against the defendant Following sentencing the judge granted the Order specifying that the clean up must be completed by noon on 12 December 2027 The farm is the subject of a planning  application to Blaby District Council for the development of a solar farm The judge ordered that the Remediation Order must be completed before that development can take place Clarke denied running the site and blamed his late father who owned Soars Lodge Farm and was joint holder of both environmental permits with him David Clarke died during the period of the investigation the judge disagreed and found that William Clarke was in day-to-day control of the composting operations Environment Agency Senior Environmental Crime Officer We encourage the proper treatment and recycling of green waste where this has environmental benefits such as by adding nutrients and improving soil structure But where wastes which aren’t suitable are treated and spread this can cause pollution and damage to wildlife We welcome these sentences which should act as a deterrent to others considering flouting the law We also welcome the Remediation Order to try to put right the damage which William Clarke has caused to his own land and that adjoining his farm The defendant ignored our concerns and refused to act on the extensive advice we gave him to improve his operation and that has resulted in these convictions If anyone has concerns about how waste is being managed they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Employees or former employees of a company have legal protections when reporting wrongdoing by their employer Whistleblowers can report serious environmental concerns about a company to the Environment Agency online:    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/whistleblowing-report-serious-wrongdoing-to-the-environment-agency Prior to and between the 26th April 2018 and 15th May 2020 you failed to comply with or contravened the conditions of an environmental permit to operate a standard composting facility granted on 3rd February 2010 (reference EAWML 101214 contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016) Prior to and between the 26th April 2018 and 15th May 2020 you treated kept or disposed of controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment contrary to Section 33(1)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 dealt with controlled waste such that plastic materials were: you failed to comply with or contravened the conditions of an environmental permit to operate waste mobile plant for the purpose of landspreading granted on 10th December 2014 (reference EAWML 105593 contrary to Regulation 38(2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 Between 19th September 2018 and 18th March 2019 you deposited or knowingly caused or permitted the deposit of controlled waste on land otherwise than authorised by an environmental permit contrary to Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or others acting on your behalf or under your control deposited controlled waste on land known as the Meadow at Soars Lodge Farm Between 12th April 2019 and 30th April 2019 you failed as required to comply with an enforcement notice dated 12th April 2019 and served under Regulation 36 Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 contrary to Regulation 38(3) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 in that you failed to ensure that you / the regulated composting facility at Soars Lodge Farm The Remediation Order was issued by the court against William David Clarke under Regulation 44 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 The order sets out steps which must be followed by William Clarke in order to remedy matters following his conviction Failure to comply with the order may be treated as a contempt of court The headline has changed to include 'waste offences' Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details has announced the completion of a residential site sale in Countesthorpe The 18.5-acre (7.5-hectare) site is located adjacent to Foston Road and Leicester Road and has outline planning for 170 energy-efficient homes The site also has excellent access to local services and facilities within the village of Countesthorpe An outline planning application was registered with Blaby District Council in January 2024 and went before planning committee in July 2024 receiving a majority in favour resolution to grant.  resulting in a 10-month turnaround from the submission of the application to a land sale said: “Achieving a local level consent for this non-allocated site and securing a buyer within a short time frame of just 10 months is a testament to the hard work and skill of the in-house Catesby team as well as the appetite from housebuilders to acquire prime residential land.” “This deal represents our second sale to Miller Homes in recent months and with a reputation for delivering high quality we look forward to seeing them take this through its final planning stages and delivering sought-after said: “We are delighted to have acquired this site We were committed to completing this deal quickly and worked closely with Catesby Estates to achieve this We are looking forward to when our reserved matters consent is secured and we can start work on delivering quality new housing for the area.” Copyright © 2025 Show House We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and 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visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns The family event will be raising money for Countesthorpe Scouts By NOTICEBOARD · 29 October 2024 Get ready for Cherry Lane's annual charity fireworks display in Countesthorpe firework display and DJ with refreshments to purchase The fun takes place at Glebe Garden Centre on Saturday it will be raising funds for the 109th Leicester Countesthorpe St Andrews Scout troop so this Saturday's display marks a welcome return The firework display is held on an open field so dress up warm and wear appropriate footwear "We are really looking forward to hosting the event and showing off our incredible fireworks display which is one of the biggest displays in the area," said Darcy Holmes "It is also a pleasure to be able to support the Scouts again with fundraising." the garden centre and café will remain open until 6.30pm Gates open at 5.30pm and guests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the festivities with the fireworks display beginning at 7pm Save money by booking your tickets in advance here before 4.30pm on the day Free car parking is available on a first come A disabled viewing area will be available on Cherry Lane’s patio next to the café – reserve a place by contacting the garden centre For more information about the event, visit the Cherry Lane website LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} An artist impression shows what the Willoughby Road development could look like Three separate applications have been submitted for housing developments in fields at the edge of a Leicestershire village Countesthorpe could have up to 426 homes added to its limits if Blaby District Council approves the plans 51 and 170 homes have each been put forward by different developers The latter application was refused in 2016 due to concerns over the impact of the development The 19-acre site off Willoughby Road could become 205 homes Davidsons Developments is seeking outline permission for up 205 homes across two fields off Willoughby Road a quarter of which are expected to be "affordable" housing The developer is looking at creating a pedestrian link into neighbouring Beechings Close so residents would have a quicker route into the village with a village green and play area also proposed Catesby Strategic Land has resubmitted its bid for up to 170 homes off Leicester Road which includes proposals to upgrade the Leicester Road/Foston Road roundabout The previous proposal was rejected because of concerns over the loss of countryside, impact on roads and because the scheme was not in line with the authority's local plan, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said submitting an updated plan to address these issues which was accepted by the district council but the appeal was dismissed by the planning inspector overseeing the case because the scheme went against the council's local plan with Catesby saying it is "materially unchanged" from the previous appeal but added the appeal inspector determined its scheme would have a number of benefits locally including the creation of construction jobs upgrades to the local road network and the provision of affordable homes and additional housing Hampton Oak is seeking full approval to extend the Gillam Butts development into the adjacent field adding 51 homes to the 40 existing homes north of the site The three schemes are not believed to be connected proposals Fears 400 new homes could stretch services New 4,500-home town could be built near airport Plans for thousands of new homes to be approved Around the BBCLocal Democracy Reporting Service North West Leicestershire District Council gives public the chance to have their say on local markets Start of growth season sparks call for Melton gardeners to act now on invasive plants Kibworth mum opens up about her life-changing adoption journey Stunning poppy display created by Melton community Waterstones bookshop presents a book launch by local authors Ashby de la Zouch venues get five-star marks in latest food hygiene ratings for Leicestershire Information about BBC links to other news sitesTop storiesUK and India agree 'landmark' trade deal No 10 resists Labour calls for winter fuel rethink Labour MPs' rage over election results simmers on Conclave: How Vatican keeps its papal vote secret Experience the VE Day flypast from inside a Red Arrows cockpit in 360 video Deliveroo deal shows UK still can't hang on to big firms Americans used to be steadfast in their support for Israel. Those days are gone Attenborough at 99 delivers 'greatest message he's ever told' 'I'm an NHS dentist who took on 4,000 new patients - now I can't afford to treat them' VE Day moments so far - and what's still to come Future Earth newsletter: Get exclusive insight on the latest climate news from Justin Rowlatt Your first look at the new series hosted by Dannii Minogue A story of love, loss and hope in the face of disaster Solid gold, six armed robbers and an audacious heist The ultimate crash course in interior design is back UK and India agree 'landmark' trade deal Visa applications for some nationalities could be restricted Germany's Merz faces new vote for chancellor after failing to win majority Israel strikes Yemen's main airport in Sanaa This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Trading Standards officers found 21 bottles of counterfeit Yellow Tail Australian wine for sale A limited company which formerly operated a Countesthorpe convenience store has been fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of more than £2,600 after admitting to stocking bottles of counterfeit wine The company’s director was also given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £2,600 Leicestershire County Council’s Trading Standards service prosecuted MJDJ Enterprises Ltd and company director Miraben Jivaji Odedra after the counterfeit wine was discovered on sale at the Countesthorpe Local store in The Bank during an inspection by Leicestershire Trading Standards officers The company and Mrs Odedra pleaded guilty to three counts relating to breaches of the Trademarks Act 1994 The hearing took place at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 2 August Leicestershire Trading Standards received an anonymous complaint which alleged that the business was selling cheap cigarettes to ‘regular customers’ Trading Standards sent a warning and advice letter to Mrs Odedra Leicestershire Trading Standards officers visited the store in February 2022 where 21 bottles of suspected counterfeit Yellow Tail Australian wine were displayed for sale The items were seized and confirmed to be counterfeit by the brand representatives for Yellow Tail The court heard that Mrs Odedra regularly bought tobacco wines and spirits from trusted and legitimate cash and carry outlets But because the Countesthorpe shop was in stiff competition with another local convenience store and a local Tesco Express a 'man in a white van' whom Mrs Odedra had never seen before came into the shop and offered her the 'Yellow Tail' wine at a discounted price approximately £2 per case less than the cash and carry outlets Mrs Odedra paid cash for the wine and did not obtain a receipt The magistrates gave Mrs Odedra credit for her early guilty plea previous good character and low number and value of the counterfeit goods they did also recognise that the risks associated with selling counterfeit alcohol to the public was high Mrs Odedra was given a two-year conditional discharge which means that if she were to reoffend in the next two years she would be sentenced for this and the new offence She was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,622.59 and a victim surcharge of £22 Her personal alcohol licence was not revoked but magistrates ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the counterfeit wine was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,622.59 and a victim surcharge of £190 Anyone who believes that potentially dangerous or counterfeit products are being sold in Leicestershire can report it to Leicestershire Trading Standards using the online form. Several events are taking place to mark the historic event Around 7,100 pupils - 99.4% - secure a top three primary school preference Customers bought cars which were found to be faulty Assessments being made after issues with chimney spotted New video released gives snapshot of services provided by council An internationally important piece of artwork estimated to be worth around one hundred and eighty thousand pounds has been discovered dumped under a hedge at a school in Leicestershire was discovered in an overgrown area behind an old PE block at Countesthorpe Academy "It was amazing" says Tim Empson who was amongst those who discovered the artwork "It was like revealing tukankarmoon's tomb The artwork is one of four pieces produced by past Royal Academy President It was originally purchased in the 60s by Leicestershire Education Authority's curated art department to inspire students at the newly built progressive secondary school later in the 1990's it was dismantled due to health and safety concerns and was discarded under the hedge behind the PE block It was only in April last year that the 'pile of discoloured metal' interested a visitor to the school and after working with a group of students its true value became apparent The artwork has now been refurbished to museum standards and has been repositioned as a centre piece to inspire the next generation of students "It's such a proud moment as a school to be able to say that my school has such a connection with the arts" Students Lucy Potter and Cole Montaut were also involved in the discovery of the piece Deputy Head Girl and art student Lucy says the piece will "act as an inspiration across the whole school as it involves not just art but dance "It's great that we've got this" she says "it's such a proud moment as a school to be able to say that my school has such a connection with the arts." "As an art student I think it's great that I can say I was involved in this project" she added The other three pieces of Phillip King's works are on display elsewhere another is at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and the third is owned by Lord Cholmondeley and on display at Houghton Hall in Norfolk The glass blower reflecting black history through art The Inspiration for Pub Success Since 1794 29-Sep-2022 Last updated on 29-Sep-2022 at 09:46 GMT Roseacre Inns has expanded its estate to eight sites by taking its fifth lease with Star at the Axe & Square in Countesthorpe. The pub had been closed for the past two and a half years but is set to reopen in December, following the makeover, which will also mean 30 new jobs will be created. Its new look will include new signage and lighting outside alongside a terrace with café style seating at the front. To the rear of the site, there will be an 80-cover garden. Furthermore, an internal makeover will extend the pub into an outbuilding, doubling its size. There will be 110 covers spread over a bar area, a dining room and snug area, which will feature a new log burner. Décor will incorporate heritage colours, wood floors alongside leather-covered seating. New look: the refurbishment is set to be complete by DecemberResilient business The kitchen is also included in the refurbishment, which will be enlarged and refitted to help enable freshly prepared food to be a focal point of the business. The menu will feature pub classics, Sunday roasts as well as a la carte specials, catering for guests who visiting for a multitude of occasions. Roseacre Inns founder Michael Thomas reflected on his experience in the trade and was positive about the outlook for the pub sector. He said: “I’ve been in the industry for 40 years and [have] seen good pubs prosper through all the ups and downs. “We’ll continue to expand in the Midlands if the right sites are available. We specialise in large middle-market suburban dining pubs and, in my experience, they are resilient even when times are tough. “If you serve good food and drink in a nice environment, people will always want to come out, socialise and forget their cares for a few hours.” Roseacre Inns are “highly professional operators” according to Star Pubs & Bars investment manager Mike Smith. He added: “They know their market inside out and deliver what their customers want at the right price. “The consistency of the offer is superb, allowing them to compete with larger managed operators while providing the individual, independent feel consumers increasingly seek.” Pub finalists announced for BIH awards29-Sep-2022By Gary LloydA trio of London pubs and one in Cambridge are in the running to be crowned best Bar/Pub of the Year in the inaugural Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Spotlight Awards. Cost of no-shows slashed by £5bn29-Sep-2022By Nikkie ThatcherThe likelihood of no-show diners has almost halved from 11% to 6%, reducing the cost of customers who make reservations and don’t turn up by £5bn a year in revenue, research has found. Food drives trade at M&B but drink sales down29-Sep-2022By Gary LloydMitchells & Butlers (M&B), the operator of brands including All Bar One, Premium Country Pubs, Nicholson’s, Ember Inns, Toby Carvery and Harvester, has reported a 5.2% lift in like-for-like (lfl) food sales and a 4.1% loss in drinks sales for the 52... Quench your Thirst with Beers from the European UnionPaid for and content provided by European Union A Leicestershire charity shop has hit a huge milestone Over the years the Rainbow Shop next to St Andrew's Church in Countesthorpe has raised £250,000 for people in poverty Volunteers there have been selling goods and making teas and coffees for nearly 40 years The enterprise was started in 1984 by the then vicar Brian Davis and his wife Sylvia following shocking tv news pictures of the plight of people starving in Ethiopia Jo Bostock has been to the Rainbow Shop to meet the team Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.