A BUSINESSMAN has been fined £1,000 and told to remove a significant amount of illegal waste from his firm’s old yard.
F. B. Skips Ltd, based at Hafod Road in Ruabon, and company director Neil Jackson pleaded guilty to separate charges of failing to comply with an Environment Agency Wales (EAW) order.
Three other changes against Jackson and the company were dropped following the guilty pleas.
Wrexham magistrates heard the firm was effectively no longer trading but Jackson was its sole remaining director.
Prosecutor Neil Evans told the hearing F. B. Skips Ltd had operated a waste transfer station on Hafod Road.
The firm’s permit meant it could keep rubble for 30 days and other waste for seven days but it was not allowed to store waste permanently.
Mr Evans said EAW launched an investigation after becoming concerned about the company’s financial position.
“Waste was lingering on the site much longer than it should have been,” he said.
Investigators visited the site and found no signs of activity. Mr Evans said they believed it “was being walked away from”.
Officers went to a building materials firm in Mold, owned by Jackson’s family, and were told the site would be cleared.
Waste was still on site on January 24 and three days later a notice was served on F. B. Skips Ltd ordering the firm to remove it.
Mr Evans said EAW investigators were told the firm was “technically insolvent” on February 22.
“Officers went back to Mold on April 13 and were told the family were too busy with another development and F. B. Skips was no longer a priority,” he said. “Waste remains there to this day.”
Mr Evans said the waste was not harmful but if it was not removed by the company somebody else would have to do it.
Defending, Lee Bonner said the firm and Jackson had been “overtaken by severe financial difficulties”.
He said efforts had been made to clear the site and 1,128 tonnes of waste removed in December but the company ultimately ran out of money.
Magistrates issued a remediation order and said the site must be cleared by February 10.
He was also fined £1,000 and told to pay £1,000 costs as well as £15 victim surcharge.