There remains a considerable degree of concern about the levels of waste that are continuing to build up on this site.
I visited Cornwall Drive myself less than two weeks ago and the scale of rubbish really is quite shocking. The stockpile poses a major fire risk and it is having a serious and adverse affect on residents’ quality of life.
I recently convened a meeting in Westminster with the head of the Environment Agency, to brief him on the situation. Shortly after this meeting, the Agency successfully obtained an order from the High Court, the purpose of which was to ensure that Waste4Fuel Ltdand its director fulfil a number of interim targets, such as the provision of fire breaks, by the end of this month. Obviously these actions should have been done months ago, but this interim understanding does mean that any failure to comply puts the director in contempt of court, resulting in a fine or even a custodial sentence.
The next step will be a further High Court hearing to obtain a full court order to enforce the extant suspension notice. This would require the current site operators to remove all combustible waste from the site. I have been informed that the Environment Agency is set to apply for court time within a matter of weeks.
With yet another smouldering fire at this site earlier this week, involving approximately 150 tonnes of the combustible waste, urgent compliance with the current court order is of the upmost importance. I have written to the Chief Executive of the Environment to stress the importance of this and to emphasise that residents must be kept up-to-date on progress.
Although Environment Agency officers will be monitoring the site on a regular basis to ensure that there is a net export of waste, I would welcome regular updates from residents, which are best sent direct to me at bob.neill.mp@parliament.uk
Bob Neill MP