East Anglian Resources Ltd Firm Accused Of Reckless Management Of Fire Risk By Environment Agency

A Cambridgeshire company was fined £26,800 for failing to manage the fire risk from storing vast quantities of waste wood well beyond its license, after a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency.

East Anglian Resources Ltd had already pleaded guilty at a hearing of Peterborough Magistrate’s Court to breaching its environmental permit.

East Anglian Resources Ltd fined by Environment Agency

The company had a Fire Prevention Plan in place, but persistently failed to comply with it

The permit was issued by the Environment Agency in 2016 and after visiting the site 30 times over the next two years, inspectors found: Piles of waste wood were frequently too large and too close together, posing a serious risk of fire by spontaneous combustion.

The company had a Fire Prevention Plan in place, but persistently failed to comply with it. The Environment Agency suspended the permit 3 times to force the company to comply, but this had limited effect.

Company accused of reckless management of fire risk

The Director of the now defunct company, Mr. James Tribe, told Inspectors that he accepted the piles of waste were large, but said they had never had a fire. He said the excessive amount of wood waste accumulated when one of its customers failed to remove it from the premises when expected.

Claire Parker, the Senior Environmental Officer at the Environment Agency said: “Unfortunately, despite our advice and guidance, warnings and temporary suspension of its permit, the company has continued to cause dust and litter nuisance to their neighbors, and to operate in a manner that presents an unacceptable fire risk.”

Firm sentenced in its absence at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court

The company, East Anglian Resources Ltd was sentenced in its absence at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court on 17 June and fined £26,800, as well as being ordered to pay costs of £29,110.18 and a victim surcharge of £170.