Skip company fined
Wednesday February 8, 2012
A company that dumped a skip in Hammersmith without a valid permit is £615 out of pocket after being taken to court by Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
Skip hire company, Brewsters Waste Management, ditched the large skip on Blacks Road in June 2011.
The skip was spotted by a member of Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s street scene enforcement team and reported under Section 139 (1) of the Highways Act 1980.
On Tuesday, January 31, at West London Magistrates, the company pleaded guilty to breaching the Highways Act. Brewster Waste Management Ltd was fined £200 for the offence and ordered to contribute to the prosecution costs in the sum of £400. A £15 victim surcharge was also imposed.
The prosecution came a day before the council introduced tougher measures to clamp down even further on rogue developers who flout the Highways Act and conditions of temporary licences for skips, scaffolding, hoardings and building materials.
The council has chosen to take this tough stance as a skip in the wrong location can have a major impact on the road network in terms of congestion, as well as being highly dangerous for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
H&F Council can now issue fixed penalty notices to companies breaking their licence conditions or for one of 22 offences under the Highways Act. These include wilful obstruction of the highway, failure to remove or reposition builder’s skip, or erecting a building, fence or hedge on the highway.
Each offence carries a £100 fine, which is reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days from the date it was served. If the fine is not paid, the council will begin legal proceedings. A full list of the offences is available on the council’s website: www.lbhf.gov.uk.
Cllr Greg Smith, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “We do realise that the vast majority of companies do obtain a licence and abide by the rules. However, Brewsters Waste Management plonked a huge skip in the middle of a busy road causing a terrible hazard that could have led to serious injury. This is exactly why we have brought in new and tougher regulations for developers who should know better.”
