A Stroud‑based company has been fined more than £4,000 after admitting to illegally emitting dark smoke from an industrial site in Sharpness.
At Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 25 February 2026, East Q Group Limited pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2 of the Clean Air Act 1993 following an incident on 7 April 2025 on Dock Road, Sharpness. The offence related to the emission of dark or black smoke from industrial premises.
The court heard that subcontractors had been carrying out refurbishment work at the site, with skips being provided from time to time. However, the judge noted that “clearly something went wrong,” adding there was no evidence of any skips on site on 7 April and a lack of supervision over what was taking place on the premises.
The court imposed the following penalties on the company:
• £900 fine for the Clean Air Act offence
• £360 Victim Surcharge
• £3,000 contribution towards costs
This resulted in a total financial penalty of £4,260.
Keith Gerrard, Stroud District Council’s Strategic Director of Communities said:
“Burning or improperly disposing of waste causes serious harm to both the environment and public health. Businesses have clear legal duties to manage and dispose of waste safely.
“This case shows that we will take action where those responsibilities are ignored, and we will continue to hold companies to account when they breach environmental law.”
Stroud District Council reminds all businesses that controlled waste must be disposed of responsibly, and only through appropriately licensed waste carriers.
For more information, visit: Dispose of business or commercial waste: Your responsibilities - GOV.UK
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