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BLUNTS Farm is run by an "unscrupulous" operator who has made millions of pounds importing thousands of tons of waste, according to Environment Agency chairman Sir John Harman who has visited the controversial Theydon Bois golf course site.

Sir John has vowed to make the developer pay for abusing the licensing system, after meeting with villagers and viewing the extent and impact of tipping at the Coopersale Lane site.

He said: "It's an example of an unscrupulous operator looking to run a landfill site while avoiding the appropriate planning and environmental controls by claiming the so-called golf-course' exemption."

But Blunts Farm spokesman George Dilloway has described the "unscrupulous" comment as a false accusation, and he refuted any suggestion that importing material onto the site had raked in £20m.

Sir John visited the site in May following an invitation from Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing. He met then parish council chairman John Eaton and local councillor Robert Glozier, district councillor Kay Rush and action group representative Mike Emmett.

Sir John said average waste crime convictions, running at under £10,000, provided little deterrent and conceded the Environment Agency had few resources other than to follow-up information provided by the public.

He said: "The amount of material on site is already in gross excess of that needed to complete the agreed landscaping to form a golf course."

The Environment Agency is considering using its powers to force the operator to remove excess waste from the site, but will await the result of an appeal brought by Blunts Farm owner Phil Newman against Epping Forest District Council's planning enforcement notices and the views of residents regards the impact of lorry movements that extraction would cause.

Sir John said: "By flouting the conditions of the exemption for landscaping, this unscrupulous operator has been able to bring tens of thousands of tons of waste onto the site and may have made up to £20m by doing so."

"I wouldn't want to see the operator get away with this abuse without suffering substantial financial loss."

4:12pm Saturday 24th June 2006

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