It has now been just over a month since Sir David Eady dismissed the Waste 4 Fuel case at the High Court, and during the past few weeks there have been numerous developments with regards to the site that local residents may be interested to hear.
As many of you already know, no members of the Waste 4 Fuel staff have been seen on Cornwall Drive for almost two weeks, and the Environment Agency (EA) believe the site has now been abandoned. Although this is yet to be confirmed, the EA have taken precautionary measures in the meantime by installing new secure fencing around the vicinity of the site, reducing the potential for trespass, arson, or other anti-social behaviour.
Following two small fires at the weekend and the discovery of more hotspots on site, the EA have also, I am pleased to say, begun to remove 2,500 tonnes of the waste to improve both the safety of the site, and indeed its accessibility for London Fire Brigade officers. This work will take some time, but should, it is expected, be completed by the beginning of September.
Alongside this, James Brokenshire, Jo Johnson and myself have held three meetings over the past three weeks with senior EA managers, as well as members of their legal team, to discuss what steps now need to be taken to definitively close the site and clear the waste. We continue to press the EA to take swift action, and remain in close contact with the Council, James Cleverly of the London Assembly, and Ron Dobson, London Fire Commissioner, to ensure everything is being done to maintain the safety of the site in this interim period.
The plans that are being made at the moment should, I hope, take us one step closer to ending this awful affair. Whilst the clearing of the entire waste pile must, of course, be the immediate priority, it is vital that the EA pursue those responsible for this mess and bring them to justice.
You may remember that I wrote to the Prime Minister last month to bring this case to his attention and highlight potential gaps in the legal framework controlling such sites, as well as the EA’s ability to sufficiently police them. The Prime Minister has asked the Environment Secretary, The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, to meet with me and my two MP colleagues to discuss further the future of the site, as well as any additional steps the Government can take to ensure other communities around Britain do not suffer at the hands of similar operators.
The site has been secured, a proportion of the waste is in the process of being removed, and if Waste 4 Fuel have indeed left the site, I believe we will all be able to see improvements on Cornwall Drive in the very near future. I will continue to work with all parties involved over the coming weeks to push for conclusive action, and will of course post any updates as and when they become available.