March date set for start of Byker court case

The case went before magistrates sitting at Gosforth who set a new court date of Tuesday 27 March, 2001, at 10am. No pleas were entered in court.

Newcastle City Council faces 15 charges concerning the illegal deposit of waste on land, disposal of waste in a manner likely to pollute the environment or cause harm to human health, and duty of care, under Sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and Regulation 2 of the Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991.

Contract Heat and Power, of Brookside Industrial Estate, Sawtree, Cambridgeshire, faces four charges, concerning duty of care offences and breaches of authorisation, under Sections 6, 23, and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The &#39B;yker ash' issue concerns the use of ash from Newcastle's combined heat and power plant (operated by Contract Heat and Power under contract to NCC) at Byker for constructing paths in city parks and allotments.