The Manchester-based company, had pleaded guilty to a total of four charges concerning two of its sites in Oldham, and was fined a total of 52,500. Its director Robert Bulcock also received a fine of 15,000 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Following the sentencing, it was found that sentences for the two charges of failing to comply with the duty of care regulations had been more than twice the maximum allowed for such offences.
It was discovered that the maximum fine that could be imposed was 5,000. The sentences have now been lowered from the original 12,500 for each charge to 4,000 each.
The combined total fine imposed on Britannia is now 35,000, as fines for all other charges remain unaffected.
Steven Zdolyny, the Environment Agency's Regional Solicitor, said: “These were unusual circumstances and as soon as it became apparent the court acted promptly to adjust the level of fines. The overall penalties still reflect the seriousness with which the court and the Environment Agency views these offences.”
A spokesman for the Environment Agency in the North West told letsrecycle.com that such a turn of events was rare, and hadn't happened in his seven years of experience with the Agency. The spokesman said: “We were striving for the highest fines, but we can't expect a company to be fined more than the maximum. We still feel the size of the total fines reflects the seriousness of the crime.”
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