Magistrates in North Sefton also ordered Rotunda Group Ltd to pay 4,396 in legal costs at the hearing on Thursday.
” Rotunda was advised and warned as early as July 2004 but for over a year continued its illegal activities. “
– Gareth Rogerson, Environment Agency
The company had pleaded guilty to three charges of keeping waste on land without a licence and one charge of failing to comply with an enforcement notice.
The court heard that Rotunda Group had a waste management licence suitable for running its waste transfer station at the Recycle House site at Southport's Crowland House. However, the company did not have a licence to use surrounding land for the storage and treatment of green waste.
Furthermore, the company had had a request for a licence turned down, because the land in question was too close to a residential area.
Complaints
The Environment Agency, which brought the case to prosecution, received “numerous complaints” about odours from the green waste operation throughout the summer of 2004. After a formal warning notice was sent to the company in March 2005, there were more than 50 further complaints from members of the public.
The Agency said the company had allowed waste to degrade without giving it sufficient oxygen, which had been the cause of the “obnoxious” odours.
Speaking after the hearing, environment officer Gareth Rogerson said: “Prior to the public complaints, Rotunda was advised and warned as early as July 2004 but for over a year continued its illegal activities. After receiving a further warning in March 2005 the company still chose to continue, openly ignoring our concerns and advice.
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“Even after an enforcement notice was issued – which required the company to remove the waste from the unlicensed site within a defined period – the company accepted a further 1,173 tonnes of green waste during the specified period.
“Following the expiry of the notice, the company accepted further significant deposits and in doing so acted with complete disregard for the environment,” Mr Rogerson explained.
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