Skip hire firms taken to court
A skip company has been fined £1,000 for illegally placing a huge skip on a busy local road.
A 20-cubic-yard skip was placed on Gunnersbury Lane on 1 November, 2012 without a licence from Ealing Council. After the company removed the skip it also replaced a smaller skip there on 5 November. Skip companies must have permission from Ealing Council before placing containers on any of the borough’s streets. Permission is restricted on Gunnersbury Lane because it is such a busy road.
Ron Smith Recycling Limited or Maidenhead, Berkshire, pleaded guilty by post and was fined £500 for each offence of depositing a skip on the highway without the council’s permission. Ealing Magistrates Court also ordered the company to pay full costs of £575.43 and a surcharge of £100, making a total of £1,175.43.
A second company, Rubbish Express Limited, pleaded guilty at Ealing Magistrates Court on Thursday, 4 April 2013, to four offences. The Norbury based company, which repeatedly put its skips on roads in Acton and Chiswick without permission was fined £800 for each offence and ordered to pay the council’s costs of £1,073.15 and a victim’s surcharge of £15. The total payable is £4,288.15.
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for environment and transport said: “This is unprofessional and irresponsible behaviour. Regulations are in place to ensure skips are used safely and with minimum disruption to residents and other road users.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve brought Rubbish Express Limited to court for the same offences and the severity of its fine reflects this. Hopefully this time the company will learn its lesson.”
April 17th 2013