The Environment Agency has announced that illegal waste sites Simonswood and William Brothers Industrial Estates have been shut down, finally tackling the long-standing issue known to Kirkby residents as the ‘Simonswood Stink’.
On the 5th of February this year a major illegal waste dump in Kirkby was revealed to the public containing approximately 30,000 tonnes of rubbish.
MP for Knowsley Anneliese Midgley said: “For years, my constituents in Kirkby have been forced to live with filthy air, thick dust and a constant foul stench – all because of blatant criminality that has been allowed to go on for far too long.
“This is a direct result of the relentless campaigning by local residents and councillors, and the pressure I have been applying at every level to enforce action”.
The Environment Agency has now served a Revocation Notice on Windmill Services Ltd in which they must cease all activities and take steps to remove the waste.
If they do not comply, it will constitute a criminal offence and risk facing prosecution.
However, the company has 20 working days to appeal the notice, and if this is lodged, the permit will remain in place.
John Neville, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in Cumbria and Lancashire said: “We will not hesitate to take enforcement action – including revoking permits to remove operators from the waste sector and shutting down illegal operations.
“Waste crime causes real harm, blighting communities, causing pollution and undercutting legitimate business”.
During the ‘day of action’ a further two waste sights were found to be operating without a permit, with the Environmental Agency requiring activity to cease and waste to be removed.
Waste Minister Mary Creagh said: “The people of Kirkby have had to endure this nightmare for far too long.
“We’re calling time on the waste criminals, who will now have to clean up and pay up.
“Our message to waste criminals is simple: break the rules and you will face the consequences”.
The Government has announced a new Waste Crime Action Plan, with Minister Creagh setting out a ‘zero-tolerance approach’ after years of ‘dither and delay’.
The illegal waste sites in Kirkby speak to a wider issue throughout the UK about environmental issues caused by illegal dumps and fly-tipping.
MP Anneliese Midgley said: “Waste crime is a national scandal, and what we have seen in Kirkby is one of the starkest examples of that anywhere in the country.
“Today’s announcement is a major step forward but it is not the end of this, the site must now be cleared, those responsible must be held accountable, and we must make sure this can never happen again”.
The Waste Crime Action Plan aims to force offenders to help clean up communities, make them pay for the damage they cause, and give the Environment Agency more power to target criminal networks.
If you suspect a waste crime is happening in your area, you can call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
[All photos taken from Environment Agency press release].
