01/06/2005 - A Dorset
skip hire firm and company director were today
ordered to pay £3,708 in fines and costs
for illegally storing waste. The case was
brought by the Environment Agency.
Environment Agency officers went to Poole
Patio Skips at 74 Old Wareham Road, Poole
on 7 December 2004. They found four skips
containing household waste including metal
and paper.
The site owner, Michael Lancaster, said they
had been kept on the site for three to four
days. He was told he could not keep waste
on the site and should take the skips straight
to landfill.
On 16 December an Environment Agency officer
returned and issued a warning letter. On 26
January this year the site was revisited and
three skips were found on the floor at the
rear of the yard containing construction and
household waste. The skips were being kept
there for a few days because they had problems
at his local tipping site and it was intended
to tip them later that day.
When interviewed about the problems, Lancaster
admitted authorising the skips to be brought
back to his site and kept there until he could
take them to one of the two waste transfer
stations that he has a contract with. He said
he did not take his skips to alternative disposal
sites because of the cost.
Appearing before Poole magistrates today,
Poole Patio Skips Limited of Sunrise Business
Park, Higher Shaftesbury Road, Blandford Forum,
Dorset pleaded guilty to two offences under
the Environmental Protection Act 11000 relating
to the illegal storage of waste. The firm
was fined £2,000 plus £354 costs.
The company director Michael Lancaster pleaded
guilty to four offences and was fined £1,000
plus £354 costs.
Stephanie Marriott from the Environment Agency
said: "Despite a warning letter and clear
information that storing waste on unlicensed
land is an offence this business continued
in full knowledge of the consequences.
"We will not hesitate to take enforcement
action when skip operators break the law."
