Environmental and heritage offences

Local authorities enforce legislation across a wide range of areas. This overview outlines content relevant to local authority enforcement of environmental and heritage offences within their jurisdiction.

Environmental crime

Practice Note: Local authorities—powers to investigate environmental crime explains the division of responsibility between local authorities (LAs) and the Environment Agency (EA) to investigate environmental offences. It explains the powers available to LAs for the investigation of environmental crime, offers practical advice for companies under investigation and highlights the offences that may be committed during the course of a criminal investigation for environmental offences.

Practice Note: An introductory guide to environmental criminal liability provides an introduction to criminal liability for environmental offences and the stages of the criminal process from pre-prosecution to sentencing. It highlights common environmental offences, explains the key principles of environmental liability including strict liability, corporate liability and liability of directors and senior managers and provides an overview of environmental crime enforcement for environmental breaches including the prosecution of environmental crime.

Practice Note: Conducting an investigation into environmental crime explains the issues lawyers need to think about when advising a client following a

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Latest Corporate Crime News

EA extends closure of illegal waste sites and consults on increased regulation

The Environment Agency (EA) has secured a 6-month extension to restriction orders for two illegal waste sites in Kent: Eastchurch Gap and Hoads Wood. The orders, granted under the Environment Act 1995, prohibit unauthorised access to these areas until June 2025. Concurrently, the Agency is conducting a consultation on proposals to enhance waste industry regulation, including a potential waste levy to boost enforcement activities. These measures form part of the EA's ongoing efforts to combat waste crime, which resulted in the closure of 482 illegal waste sites and 83 prosecutions in the year to March 2023. The consultation remains open until 20 January 2025, inviting stakeholder input on the proposed regulatory changes.

HSE launches inspection campaign to assess councils' asbestos management

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced a new inspection campaign targeting local authorities' management of asbestos risks in council-owned buildings. The initiative will involve hundreds of inspections across various council properties, including libraries, museums, and leisure centres. HSE inspectors will assess compliance with the 'duty to manage' requirements under Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, SI 2012/632. This campaign follows previous inspections of hospitals and schools and aligns with the HSE's 'The Asbestos – Your Duty' awareness campaign launched in January 2024. The inspections aim to ensure that councils are effectively managing asbestos risks in buildings constructed before 2000, particularly those built between 1950 and 1980 when asbestos use in construction was at its peak.

Insolvency Service bans director for BBL fraud

The Insolvency Service has banned Nazia Khan, a sales consultant based in Dubai, from serving as company director for nine years for fraudulently securing a £25,000 bounce back loan (BBL) for her inactive company, LC247 Limited, by falsely declaring a £100,000 turnover. Khan misappropriated the funds for personal use, contravening the scheme's regulations and the company went into liquidation in February 2022, with debts surpassing £28,000.

NCA disrupts multi billion dollar Russian money laundering networks

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has successfully concluded Operation Destabilise, a major international investigation that exposed and disrupted Russian money laundering networks with global reach. The operation, revealed in conjunction with US sanctions, led to eighty four arrests and the seizure of over £20m in cash and cryptocurrency. The networks, identified as Smart and TGR, facilitated money laundering for UK-based criminals, transnational crime groups, and Russian clients seeking to bypass financial restrictions. The investigation uncovered links between Russian elites, cyber criminals, and UK drug gangs, with the networks also supporting Russian espionage operations from late 2022 to summer 2023. The NCA's actions have significantly impacted these criminal enterprises, making it difficult for them to operate in the UK and sending a clear message against money laundering activities.

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