A landowner made over £1million turning a beauty spot into a permanent caravan park and rubbish tip - but has been fined just £100K.

John Holland, 59, crammed waste and over 90 caravans and 40 vehicles into two fields on the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

He also laid 300 metres of tarmac roads and dumped household and commercial waste on the site.

Holland turned the 1.2-hectare grassland site into a permanent commercial caravan park.

The site at Long Load, within the Wet Moor SSSI on the Somerset levels, serves as an internationally important breeding ground for wading birds and waterfowl.

He appeared before Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday 26 November for sentencing.

Hollland pleaded guilty to two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 at earlier hearings.

The prosecution was brought by Natural England following a four-year investigation into his activities - which revealed his crimes.

The court found he had demonstrated 'a criminal lifestyle' and accrued a fortune of illicit financial gain from his actions.

Financial investigators found Holland had made

over one million in unexplained cash and assets.

They were successfully evidenced to have come from his unlawful operation of the caravan park.

He was ordered to pay £116,263 within three months.

Matt Heard, Natural England National Delivery Director, said: "We welcome the court's judgement, which is the result of four years of dedicated investigation and demonstrates our clear commitment to protecting Sites of Special Scientific Interest."

"Holland's behaviour has shown blatant contempt for this intentionally important conservation site and the rare and threatened species that depend upon it."

"His actions were completed in full knowledge of the impact they would have, yet he chose to repeatedly disregard Natural England's advice and prioritise achieving significant illicit financial gain over complying with his legal obligations to protect the site."

John and his family had unsuccessfully applied five times between 2011 and 2018 for planning consent to develop the site into a permanent caravan park, and these refusals were subsequently upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.

The SSSI, which also falls within a Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, was designated in 1985.

It forms part of the extensive marsh grasslands and ditch systems which make up the Somerset Levels and Moors - a highly protected landscape renowned for supporting unique biodiversity.

The site provides nationally important breeding habitat for threatened populations of wading birds such as curlew and black-tailed godwit and supports internationally important populations of red-listed bird species including the endangered Bewick's swan, lapwing and pochard.

It is also home to over three per cent of the global population of Eurasian teal.

Natural England concluded the works carried out by John had resulted in habitat loss, displacement and long-term disturbance to these bird species, and charged John with two offences in March 2023.

After pleading guilty, John - who was also convicted in September 2023 of physically threatening and abusing Natural England officers who visited the site to investigate the initial allegations in 2021 - claimed to be bankrupt.

Natural England commenced proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and instructed financial investigators, who found John had accrued over £1 million in unexplained cash and assets, which were successfully evidenced to have arisen from his unlawful operation of the caravan park.

The court noted that the amount it could order him to pay was limited in the context of the total illicit benefit accrued owing to his active bankruptcy proceedings.

The court also granted Natural England an order requiring holland

to restore the site to its former condition as semi-natural grassland by 23 January 2026, removing all caravans and associated infrastructure and creating and maintaining habitat for breeding and wintering birds.

If he fails to comply, he faces a further unlimited fine plus an additional £100 fine for each day the order is not complied with.

In sentencing Holland, His Honour Judge Richard Shepherd said: "You had numerous opportunities to rectify the damage caused and carried on regardless, which amplified the effects on the site's fauna and flora."

"This was a deliberate and persistent set of offending which showed a flagrant disregard of the law"."