Illegal waste activity costs borough skip hire company more than £5500

During the charging period (Oct 2017- 5 Feb 2021) Alpha Skip Hire operated from the site at Jury Street, Leigh. Environment Agency officers attended the site on a number of occasions where they observed inert waste (sand, concrete and rubble) of more than 150 tonnes, stored higher than 3m, and more than 150 tonnes of mixed waste spilling from the building.

Throughout the Environment Agency’s lengthy investigation, officers offered extensive advice and guidance to Mr Warburton in order for Alpha Skip Hire to become compliant with its permit.

At all further inspections, mixed waste was still seen to be stored outside the building with waste heights and levels greater than those permitted, causing unacceptable risks to the environment

Mr Warburton, as holder of the permit for Alpha Skip Hire, pleaded guilty to offences at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Court under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 and was fined £861 and ordered to pay costs of £5580 and a Victim surcharge of £86.

Mark Easedale, an Environment Agency Area Environment Manager, said: “The Environment Agency is committed to taking robust enforcement action against those who break the law, to protect communities and the environment. In this case the defendant had consistently failed to respond to advice and guidance, warnings and statutory notices requiring action to be taken to improve operations at the site.

"Illegal waste sites undercut legitimate business, can cause severe damage to the environment and misery for residents and businesses. We are determined to make life hard for criminals. We support legitimate business by disrupting and stopping the criminal element.”

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