A County Durham demolition company has been ordered to pay £6,180.46 after pleading guilty to breaking environmental laws.

PTS Demolition and Dismantling Ltd, which operates out of Hackworth Industrial Estate, Shildon, Bishop Auckland, was prosecuted for operating a waste transfer station without a permit at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on 5 July 2017. The court ruled it was a deliberate offence and ordered the firm to pay a fine of £3,500 and £2,680.46 costs.

The charges brought by the Environment Agency relate to the company’s attempts to reduce costs by starting its own waste transfer station.

An Environment Officer and a colleague from Durham County Council visited the site in July 2014 to provide advice on how to apply for an environmental permit and planning permission to do this.

In 2015, Environment Officers visited a further five times to give additional advice and guidance. At the same time they recorded evidence that the company was operating a waste transfer station illegally, including storing 100 tonnes of crushed aggregate, 15 skips full of mixed waste and a store of fire extinguishers.

In February 2016, PTS Demolition submitted a permit application, which was returned for failing to include the application fee. Following a further visit by Environment Officers to give more advice, the company submitted another application. This was also returned for failing to include a Fire Prevention Plan (FPP). Again, officers provided advice on how to complete an FPP.

Officers returned to the site on 11 August 2016. The levels of waste had reduced but some skips of mixed waste remained, along with a number of wooden railway sleepers and a skip containing glass.

Company given ‘every possible opportunity’ to comply

Jamie Fletcher, Environment Agency Area Environment Manager, said:

The regulations exist to protect the environment, legitimate business and local communities from the risk of harm. Every business dealing in waste, whether they produce, carry, sort, recycle, ship or dispose of it, has a responsibility to fully understand and comply with environmental laws.

We gave PTS Demolition every possible opportunity and extensive support to comply. However, not only did they store waste illegally, the company repeatedly ignored advice and failed to shut down operations.

Those that repeatedly fail to comply with regulations pose a heightened risk to the environment and undermine legitimate business. In such circumstances we will have no hesitation prosecuting to ensure that waste crime doesn’t pay.

Highways England is widening some of the approaches and slip roads at the junction and adding an extra lane to sections of the roundabout, increasing it from 2 to 3 lanes as part of an £8.3 million scheme.

Once the scheme is complete it will increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety for the thousands of drivers who use it every day.

Since the scheme started back in February Highways England has completed work on the inside of the roundabout which will form part of the additional lane and a new combined footpath and cycleway. Work has also been undertaken getting ready to install 2 new ‘superspan’ gantries which will cross both carriageways on the M1.

Work will now start on the outside of the roundabout with the narrow lanes being moved on to the new section of surface from Saturday 22 July. This will also allow the new pedestrian crossings to be completed.

Highways England project manager Derek Dobinson said:

Work is progressing well at the junction which acts as a major route into Leeds city centre and is the main access for a number of major businesses. Over the next few months we will continue work on the widening of the northbound entry slip road, add an extra lane on to the southbound entry slip road so traffic can merge easily from the roundabout and start work on the A63 approach.

Most of the work will continue to be carried out during the day. However, there will be some overnight closures to put in the new gantries, which display advice for drivers and for resurfacing of the junction. These will be advertised closer to the time.

There will be overnight closures on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 July to remove the equipment which was installed on the current gantries which only span one side between 8pm and 6am.

While the scheme is ongoing there is a reduced speed limit of 50mph on the M1 and a 30mph limit on the slip roads and roundabout.

Further information about the project which is due to be completed in winter can be found on the scheme website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

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Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.