A former director of a skip company which burned down on a Lancaster industrial estate has been sentenced on charges relating to illegal storage of controlled waste.
A1 Supa Skips director Oliver Luke Kirkbride, of Stanley View, Mirehouse, Whitehaven, was found guilty of seven offences relating to illegal waste operations at three sites on the Lune Industrial Estate that led to a major fire in December 2023.
The Environment Agency found that thousands of tonnes of combustible waste were stored in breach of permits, with operations continuing after a suspension notice.
The fire, linked to the abandoned waste, caused significant disruption and clean-up costs of over £2 million.
Kirkbride appeared at Preston Crown Court last week and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and 200 hours unpaid work.
An investigation by the Environment Agency revealed that thousands of tonnes of combustible waste were stored in breach of permit conditions, with operations continuing even after a suspension notice was issued.
Large quantities of combustible waste were stored far in excess of 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The site’s permit was revoked by the Environment Agency in November 2022.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 involved waste storage breaches at other units on the Lune Industrial Estate.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Illegal waste activity and breaches of Environmental permits puts communities, businesses, and the environment at serious risk.
‘’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.
‘’Waste criminals cause distress to our communities and can destroy the environment. This case demonstrates that we will continue to pursue and take robust action against anyone operating outside the law.”
A further charge was withdrawn by the prosecution at an earlier stage.
The judge at Preston Crown Court also imposed a Directors Disqualification Order for a period of five years.
Section 33(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 makes it an offence to deposit controlled waste without an environmental permit.
The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 set strict conditions for the operation of waste sites, including limits on storage volumes, duration, and waste types.
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