Walsall waste firm hit with £50k fine

Relatives were forced to wash down headstones which were covered in grime from AB Waste Management Ltd base in Cemetery Road in James Bridge, Walsall.

The company was slapped with the fine after it admitted five counts of breaching an enforcement notice issued by Walsall Council under the Town and Country Planning Act.

The company was first served with notices in 2012 for using two sites at the base without correct planning permission.

It was required to cease activity at the old Railway Tavern and Junction Works by either September or November 2013.

But it carried on its waste sorting and vehicle storage activities until last year.

The company lodged appeals against the notices but a planning inspector ruled in the council's favour.

At Walsall Magistrates' Court this week, a hearing was told how rubble processing at the site was blamed for dust settling on headstones at James Bridge Cemetery.

Mr Dominic Patouchas, prosecuting on behalf of Walsall Council, said: "The use of the former Junction Works and associated material, stockpiles, processing various portable buildings and fencing have created significant harm to the amenity of the surrounding area by reason of its appearance, noise, the nature of HGV traffic generation from the operation and the spread of dust to the adjacent cemetery and the deposit of water, dust and mud and the adjacent roads and is considered to have significant environmental impact on the locality."

He said 60 skips of various sizes and about 15 cars were being stored at the sites when checks were carried out in November 2013.

In mitigation, Mr Andrew Wakeman told the court that AB Waste was remorseful for its actions and had admitted the offences at the first opportunity.

"The company does take this matter very seriously and wishes to apologise. It is a local company that employs people from the area. It did not want to be seen as a business that causes problems for residents. It is hoping to grow," Mr Wakeman said.

He added that the business had relocated to a site in Brandon Way, West Bromwich, and employed 50 staff.

Chairman of the bench Miss Eileen Jones fined the company £10,000 for each offence, ordered it to pay £1,365 costs and £1,000 victims' surcharge. She said credit was given for the early guilty pleas.

The company had hoped to move to premises, in Willenhall Lane, Bloxwich, in 2014 but angry campaigners collected the petition in opposition and held a site protest against the plans.

If given the go-ahead the proposed 24-hour waste recycling facility would have handled up to 175,000 tons a year of waste.