A man has been given a suspended prison sentence for the illegal operation of waste sites that led to a major fire.
In a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency, Oliver Kirkbride pleaded guilty to multiple offences relating to the illegal operation of waste sites on the Lune Industrial Estate in Lancaster.
On 15 August, Kirkbride appeared at Preston Crown Court and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from being a company director for 5 years.
An investigation by the Environment Agency found that Kirkbride stored thousands of tonnes of combustible waste in breach of permit conditions, with operations continuing even after a suspension notice was issued.
The abandoned waste led to a major fire in December 2023, which caused significant disruption to neighbouring businesses. Firefighting and clean-up costs added up to over £2 million.
The defendant repeatedly and deliberately ignored environmental law and defied enforcement action by continuing to breach the law with no consideration for the environment or the community of Lancaster.
The investigation found that combustible waste was stored far more than the 500-tonne, seven-day limit set in the site’s environmental permit.
In February 2022, the Environment Agency suspended the site’s permit because of the significant fire risk, but waste imports continued until April 2022, and then under a second company until October 2022.
The site’s permit was revoked by the Environment Agency in November 2022.
Between September 2021 and October 2022, Kirkbride, as a company director, was found to have deliberately breached environmental permit limits, operated unpermitted waste sites, repeatedly failed to comply with enforcement notices and deposited waste without the necessary authorisations.
Further offences involve waste storage breaches at Unit C4 and the illegal use of Unit C3, which had no permit in place.
Commenting on the sentencing, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The defendant repeatedly and deliberately ignored environmental law and defied enforcement action by continuing to breach the law with no consideration for the environment or the community of Lancaster.
“His actions led to a major fire that ultimately caused weeks of harm and disruption to local residents and businesses. The costs of which to resolve and clear were borne by emergency services and multi-agency partners, including Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Lancaster City Council.”