The council has reassured residents living close to the Lune Industrial Estate that it is continuing to monitor the former waste site. When the fire broke out last year, the council was part of a multi-agency response that came together to manage the incident.
The council agreed to contribute a total of £1.4million to help Lancashire Fire and Rescue to gain access to the seat of the fire by paying to demolish part of the building. This enabled firefighters to extinguish the blaze, waste to be removed and the risk reduced of the fire reoccurring. It was later able to recoup £764,916 of this outlay from the government.
A ‘duty’ to safety
Eight months on, the site appears to be “largely untouched”, and the owners have been reminded of their responsibility to ensure the site is safe.
Councillor Phillip Black, leader of Lancaster city council, said: “Although the emergency phase of the incident is over, it is important that people know we continue to put pressure on the owners to live up to their responsibilities. They have a duty to ensure that their site is safely maintained and that there are no potential risks to the community.
“In addition to reminding them about their obligations we have requested a meeting to discuss matters further, with a view to finding out more about their plans for the long-term future of the building.”
If you want to find out more about fire safety and prevention, make sure you attend the Fire Prevention and Control Conference 2024 in Birmingham on 13th November 2024. See the full agenda and book tickets here.
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