A 44 year-old man has been fined £120 after pleading guilty to transporting waste without the necessary licence. The offence was discovered during Operation Highway, a multi-agency operation between the Environment Agency, Nottinghamshire Police, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), HM Revenue and Customs, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service and Via East Midlands.

On 12 October 2018, at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court, Carl Fairhurst was fined £120, ordered to pay Environment Agency Costs of £135 as well as a victim surcharge of £30

Sheffield based Mr Fairhurst was caught transporting controlled waste without a licence during the multi-agency road stop on the A1 at Blyth in Nottinghamshire. Police directed him to pull in to a check point at the services where the vehicle was examined and confirmed to be carrying waste.

After providing various different names, and claiming to be working for a number of different companies, the driver finally identified himself as Carl Fairhurst. It was confirmed that Mr Fairhurst was self employed.

Mr Fairhurst was unable to produce a valid waste carrier registration and was interviewed under caution at the check point by an Environment Agency officer.

Anyone transporting waste as part of their business, whether it’s their waste or someone else’s, has to register for a Waste Carriers Licence.

During the search of the vehicle, Environment Agency officers established that Mr Fairhurst was working as a sub contractor to a multinational telecommunications company.

Speaking after the case, Iain Regan, Waste Regulatory Specialist at the Environment Agency said:

We were concerned to find that in this case a blue chip telecommunications company was employing an unregistered waste carrier, which increased the risk that their waste would not be managed appropriately or legally. We promptly raised the matter with the company concerned, requiring them to take action to prevent possible further breaches of their Duty of Care. We are pleased to report that the company has since reviewed its procedures and checked its supply chain to ensure that its waste is managed legally in the future

We want householders and businesses to only use licensed waste carriers. Large companies have an important role to play in protecting the environment by only using legal waste management contractors. We hope the legitimate carriers in the industry see that we are taking action against free riders and illegal operators who seek to evade the system.

Operation Highway and its sister operation; Operation Transporter are taking place regularly throughout Nottinghamshire on all classes of road. As this case shows, unregistered waste carriers face a greater risk of being caught and prosecuted as a result of these operations.

Members of the public can report unregistered waste carriers or illegal waste sites to the Environment Agency, in confidence on 0800 80 70 60 (24/7 service), or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

£248 million has been released to social sector landlords to fund the removal and replacement of unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding from high-rise (defined as 18 metres or higher) social sector homes.

The money is the first tranche of funding released from the estimated £400 million announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year and means councils and housing associations can make their properties safe without having an impact on their other vital services.

Applications were received for 159 buildings, and 135 – from 12 councils and 31 housing associations – have been approved. We have requested more information for 12 of the applications and will review these and any others received in December. Twelve applications were not eligible for funding because they didn’t meet the application criteria.

There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes and so applications received after the 31 August deadline will still be reviewed.

As this work is ongoing and costs are estimated (and subject to change), 80% of the estimated costs will be provided upfront to ensure work can start with no delay. The work will be closely monitored by the government and the remaining 20% will paid once work is complete and the final costs are known.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government established a comprehensive building safety programme that included an independent review of fire safety and building regulations.

The government response to this review confirmed, following consultation, a ban on the use of combustible materials on all residential high-rise buildings above 18 metres so that people are safe in their homes now, and in the future. Full details of the ban and how the recommendations of the Hackitt review will be implemented will be published later this year.

The latest figures show over 75% of social housing buildings with unsafe ACM cladding are currently removing and replacing it, with plans in place for the remaining 25%. Interim fire safety measures are in place in all affected buildings to keep residents safe until the cladding has been replaced. The latest figures are published on GOV.UK monthly.

The government has started distributing an estimated £400 million to remove and replace unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems on social sector high-rise housing in England owned by social landlords.

Twelve local authorities and 31 housing associations are being told today (17 October 2018) that they have been allocated the money they need to cover the cost of removing and replacing unsafe ACM cladding from social, residential buildings they own which are 18 metres or higher.

This funding will enable local authorities and housing associations to get on with the job of making their buildings safe without having an impact on other vital services. As work is ongoing, costs are subject to change, and that is why the government will be closely monitoring progress.

Secretary of State for Communities, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes and that is why I am pleased the £400 million funding has started to be released.

We are doing the right thing by residents and fully funding the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding in social housing buildings 18 metres or above.

In the private sector, I want to see landlords protect leaseholders from these costs. I am pleased that a number have stepped forward to do so, including Barratt Developments, Legal & General, Taylor Wimpey, Mace and Peabody. However, there are some who are not engaging in this process. If they don’t, I have ruled nothing out.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show that over 75% of social housing buildings with unsafe ACM cladding have completed remediation or are currently removing and replacing the cladding, with plans in place for the remaining 25%. Interim fire safety measures are in place in all affected buildings to keep residents safe until the cladding has been replaced.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government established a comprehensive building safety programme that included an independent review of fire safety and building regulations.

The government published its response to this review and, following consultation, has confirmed that it is banning the use of combustible materials on all residential high-rise buildings above 18 metres so that people are safe in their homes now, and in the future. Full details of the ban and how the recommendations of the Hackitt review will be implemented will be published later this year.

Application process and distribution of funds

Applications for 159 buildings have been received to date and 135 applications have been approved in this first tranche of funding.

Twelve applications were not eligible for funding because they didn’t meet the application criteria – for example the buildings are below 18 metres, owned by commercial freeholders or the cladding is not ACM.

Twelve applications have been deferred while building owners provide further information so that we can confirm eligibility.

There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their homes and so the department has taken the view that applications received after the 31 August deadline will still be reviewed.

The government is paying 80% of the estimated eligible costs up front when work starts, with the remaining 20% when the work is complete and final costs are known. The funding allocated so far comes to £248 million.

Latest building safety data

The government publishes the latest building safety data it holds on a monthly basis, showing how many buildings are in the process of removing and replacing unsafe ACM cladding.

The ex-coach of a Windermere under-12s football team who sexually assaulted 7 of his players has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Anthony Pickering, 56, who was between 17 and 20 years old at the time, carried out his campaign of sexual abuse over a 3 year period during the late 70s and early 80s. He coached boys aged 8 to 12, travelled to their matches, and also went on tour with them to Dumfries; opportunities he would use to carry out his abuse.

Pickering was originally sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court in August, where he was given 5 years imprisonment. This was on top of 10 years he was already serving for similar charges in 2012. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 9 years imprisonment, on top of his previous sentence.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“To abuse a position of power and subject vulnerable children to such horrific sexual assaults is an abhorrent crime. Pickering robbed multiple victims of their childhood, and I am pleased the Court of Appeal has agreed that his sentence deserved to be higher.”

Carl Fairhurst was fined £120, ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of £135 as well as a victim surcharge of £30