Need to know

• SMEs face the same environmental duties as big companies, even if they don’t have the same resources.

• Non-compliance can trigger notices, fines, or even court action from The Environmental Agency or local councils.

• Environmental law touches more than property deals and planning, everyday operations can land SMEs in hot water too.

Welcome to TSL’s Weekly Edge, whether you’re aiming for a regional or high-street practice, or just want to get a feel for how law works in the real world beyond textbooks, you’re in the right place. 

No corporate jargon, no massive deals, just real useful information designed to give you that extra edge in your legal journey.

🧠Wilson’s Weekly Wisdom

A little healthy competition never hurts.

At work this summer, we had a steps challenge to raise money for charity. Nothing extreme, but it definitely brought out some people’s inner competitive streak. A bit of friendly pressure can go a long way.

I still remember something one of my lecturers said in my first week at uni. He asked us to look around the room, take in the faces: “These aren’t just your fellow students and friends. They’re your future colleagues and your future opponents.”

That stuck with me. It reminded me that we were all chasing the same goal, at the same time. And while there was competition, it was the kind that helps you grow, watching others try new things, and push themselves made me want to do the same.

Fast forward to last week. I emailed a chambers asking for counsel for a hearing, and one of the names they sent looked familiar. A quick check on the website confirmed it, it was someone from my undergrad cohort. Different cities, different paths, but somehow our careers had crossed again. And weirdly, I felt proud. Not just of them, but of all of us who’ve kept going in our own ways.

Healthy competition doesn’t mean stepping on each other. Sometimes, it’s just knowing we’re all on the same road and using each other as quiet motivation to keep moving forward.

💡Spotlight Article

When you hear environmental law, what pops into your head?

Big factories puffing out black smoke? Or waste companies dumping chemicals into rivers?

Sure, those examples stick in your mind, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. The rules about wastewater, energy, and land use hit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) just as much as the big corporations.

If you’re an aspiring high street solicitor, knowing how these environmental issues can turn into legal struggles is a must!

🔎What’s happening? 

Nobody flies under the radar when it comes to environmental duties.

We all, from large companies to private individuals, have a responsibility to our communities and the surroundings we often take for granted.

The legal expectations for SMEs aren’t any different. Even everyday activities can mean responsibilities under UK law, and to give some examples:

• Waste handling: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, businesses have to deal with their waste properly. A takeaway can’t just dump cooking oil down the drain, as they could get into serious trouble for that.

• Contaminated land and water pollution: Businesses could find themselves in hot water if they’re on or sell land that’s polluted. For example, even a ‘tiny’ spill into a stream can land them a huge bill as a way of punishment.

• Energy use and efficiency: All those EPC ratings and schemes like the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)? They’re pushing businesses to go ‘green’.

• Habitats and conservation: Building near nature reserves or where rare animals, plants or marine life are can cause problems under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

• Flooding and permits: If you’re a small business in an area that floods, you might need the go-ahead before you start any building work.

• Non-compliance: The Environmental Agency (EA) and local councils can hit you hard with notices, fines, or even take you to court, and the consequences can be brutal.

How would this work in practice? Let’s take a look at a recent example.

📌Case study: Thorpe Farm Waste Site (2025)

In 2021, Matthew Berry, the sole director of SBR Foxhills Limited, became interested in a site at Thorpe Farm, and he eventually bought it and started clearing it out. 

The thing is, he didn’t bother getting any permits or say so from anyone to store or deal with the waste, and instead of cleaning up as he said he would, he dumped loads of baled waste on a ‘spongy’ concrete area that wasn’t sealed properly, and then ignored it. 

This meant the waste was exposed to the elements, which would have caused environmental problems over time.

After consistently avoiding and refusing to work with the EA officers who reviewed the site, Berry and his company were dragged before a court. They admitted they were guilty of running a rinky-dink, non-exempt waste operation without permission.

In May 2025, Lincoln Crown Court gave him a suspended sentence of 36 weeks, plus a load of fines and costs, with nearly £100,000 taken off him!

❓ Why it matters to high street firms

When you’re helping small businesses, environmental issues pop up in all sorts of wily ways. 

Here’s where you step in:

1.  Property deals: Buying or selling land? You might have to warn them if the ground’s contaminated, shuffle the paperwork so they’re not stuck with a hefty bill, or walk them through all the necessary checks.

2.  Planning and permits: Businesses often don’t realise when they need an environmental permit, or what kind of ‘green’ conditions sneak into planning rules. It’s your job to become a translator in these circumstances.

3.  Crisis mode: When a business gets slapped with an enforcement notice or the EA shows up wagging fingers, you’re the one who steps in, calms things down, and tries to keep the damage and fines to a minimum.

4.  Day-to-day risks: It’s not just about big dramas. You’ll also be dropping advice on how to avoid waste offences, or how to manage land that floods, for example.

Environmental law is more layered than people think!

Enforcement Notice

Think of it as a formal letter from the powers-that-be, such as the EA or your local council, telling you that you’ve broken the law or ignored the contents of a permit.

It lays out what you need to fix and what will happen if you don’t.

Getting one feels a bit like when your parents called you by your full government name. You know you’re in trouble when that happens!