A waste recycling business in South Derbyshire has been fined £20,000 by a court after causing significant loss to other local firms by continually leaving mud and debris on the roads.
Rainbow Waste Management Ltd, in Robian Way, Swadlincote, was told it failed to take sufficient steps to stop its activities having an unreasonable effect on others in the local area.
In November 2016, the company was served with a Community Protection Notice which instructed it to conduct its work and vehicles in a particular way and mud and debris on local roads from its activities,did not have a detrimental effect on others in the locality.
But after further complaints between January and May, 2017, South Derbyshire District Council’s safer neighbourhood wardens established that the conditions of the notice had been breached. The breaches caused significant cost and loss of trade to other local businesses, as well as disruption and nuisance to their staff, the court heard.
A prosecution was brought by the district council under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, the company pleaded guilty to breaches of the Community Protection Notice between January 3 and May 25, this year and was fined £20,000, and must pay £1,794.17 in costs.
South Derbyshire councillor Peter Watson, chairman of the housing and environmental services committee, said: "We spend a lot of time helping our local businesses to reduce their environmental impact on people and other business operators in the locality.
"Sometimes we need to resort to formal legal action. This business has now committed to fully meet the conditions of the notice. We’re confident that in this case appropriate steps will continue to be taken to ensure that the interests of everyone in the locality will be maintained."
