Carlisle firms handed 40k fine for waste offences

Richard Allan, Brampton Skip Hire Limited and North West Recycling were handed a total of 40,000 in fines and ordered to pay 30,000 costs following a three-day hearing at Carlisle Magistrates Court which concluded yesterday (31 October), after pleading guilty to charges of illegal waste dumping at seven sites in northern Cumbria.

The case was brought to court following investigations carried out by the Environment Agency which found that both companies, acting under the direction of Mr Allan, had illegally spread waste at the locations.

Brampton Skip Hire Limited, based at Warren House Farm in Brampton, acted as the licenced carrier for North West Recycling Limited, which operated out of Carlisles Rockcliffe Industrial Estate.

Prosecution

Following the conclusion of the hearing, Mr Allan said that the company had acted to rectify the problems that had been discovered by the Agency.

He said: This prosecution was based on a breach of regulations, which relate to the paper trail of some of our services and the way in which our products were processed.

We were delighted the judge accepted that I have the best intentions towards the environment and that the companies have co-operated fully with the Environment Agency following its initial investigation and that we put right was had gone wrong.

Meanwhile, Mr Allan also commented that the companies were found to be not guilty on 16 of the counts that they had contested, and claims of an alleged 1.49 million criminal benefit were also withdrawn.

He added: “We have accepted the fines and have already taken remedial action to ensure our processes are robust and resilient. There is no question about the safety of our product.

The company cares deeply about our local environment and is continually investing in innovative and effective products that have environmental benefits for the people of Cumbria.

Investigation

Investigations found both companies had failed to comply with Environment Agency permit conditions at their respective sites. Waste was leaving the defendants premises without the necessary checks in place to control environmental risks.In mitigation, the judge acknowledged the defendant, Mr Allan, had entered the field of waste disposal as a young man with the best of intentions and that problems stemmed from the growth of his business and his ambitions to develop it, leading to the accumulation of too much waste.

Catherine Evans, lead investigating officer for the Environment Agency, said: Where waste is illegally deposited, this has the potential to cause serious pollution incidents and harm human health.

This prosecution highlights that we take waste crime seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute, if necessary, to protect the environment and local communities.