Former New Forest District Council leader Barry Rickman hit with £3,000 court bill as brother Robert avoids prison

THE former leader of New Forest District Council was hit with a £3,000 court bill while his brother was spared jail for both flouting environmental laws.

Barry Rickman (64) and Robert Rickman (68) were also given an order to clear scrap from land they own at Lower Mead End Road, Sway, by 8th November 2022.

When they appeared before Southampton Magistrates’ Court today (Monday), Robert was at risk of going down immediately, but was eventually given a four-month term, suspended for 12 months.

Barry, of Heron Close, was fined £2,000 and told to pay £1,000 court costs.

Robert, of Lower Mead End Road, was told to pay £1,000 costs and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

The brothers landed themselves before the court after the Environment Agency prosecuted over the state of the scrapyard.

They first appeared in court in March when they were given six months to clear the site.

However, at later hearing it emerged they had not dealt with the issue, and the pair were granted an extension – with Robert warned he risked going to prison if the land was not sorted.

At today’s hearing, Environment Agency prosecutor Gordon Starks said there had been 200 cars on site and other waste, including asbestos, when the EA first visited the site.

While the hazardous material had been cleared, there were still more than 30 cars left, he said.

The district judge overseeing the case, Anthony Calloway, called the site a "shocking mess".

The land, the court was told, is divided into four parcels. Two are owned by Barry, one by Robert and another section jointly. The majority of the cars concerned were on the jointly owned land and also on Robert’s.

The scrapyard was run by the Rickmans' father, who subsequently worked alongside Robert, who he passed the business on to.

Barry had little to do with the business or the land itself but resigned as leader of NFDC after pleading guilty to knowingly causing/permitting a person to operate a regulated waste operation facility that dealt with the deposit, treatment and or storage of waste without authorisation of an environmental permit.

Robert, admitted conducting/causing or knowingly permitting activity in contravention of the environmental permit in relation to the waste operation.

In court it was stressed how Barry had lost "nearly everything" in his political career due to the case, his health and income had suffered, and his family had suffered emotionally.

The court heard Robert – who has a serious heart problem that caused his retirement in 2018 – was a "hoarder and a tinkerer".

Robert contested the EA claims, adding there were actually 26 cars on the site, and the court was told he is perplexed why he could not keep them.

He reckoned he could get some of them working and wanted to use his retirement to "tinker" with them for his own pleasure, said his solicitor, Richard Griffiths.

But the EA said Robert had been reluctant to deal with the cars, "delayed" the process continually, and pointed out he had a previous similar conviction dating back to 2017.

Barry, the court heard, had been cooperative with the EA and “tried his best” to remedy the situation, which had been worsened by the brothers' complex relationship.

That was proven in documents handed to the court which showed Barry arranged for Farwells to clear the entire site at a cost of £9,650 in October and had said he would pay the bill in full.

However, Robert cancelled that order. Mr Griffiths said that was because of his "pride" in not wanting his younger brother to foot the bill and because he believed he should be allowed to keep some of the cars.

Some of the vehicles also had Robert’s possessions inside, and he had nowhere else to store them, Mr Griffiths added.

However, DJ Calloway ordered the site must be cleared “in full”, warning Robert that he would face further action if he failed to do so.