Batley business fined over dangerous pile of rubbish
A Batley business owner has been fined £2,000 for failing to remove a huge pile of rubbish blocking a fire escape.
Where was the rubbish?
Mohamed Said Esmail Raja, of Woodend Court in Bradford, was given a Remedial Order by Kirklees Council on 29 November, 2018 to remove the waste on his premises on Well Lane, Batley.
When was the man first contacted to remove the rubbish?
We first contacted Raja to remove the unsightly pile of rubbish, consisting of window and door frames, in June, 2018 as it was blocking a fire escape.
How long did he have to remove the rubbish?
He was given until 9 January, 2019 to remove the waste. However, when officers visited on 9 January it had not been removed, despite the man being contacted days earlier to see if he required an extension of time to clear the waste. We revisited on 13 March, 2019 and it was still there.
When was the man found guilty of non-compliance with a Remedial Order?
At Kirklees Magistrates’ Court on 14 March, 2019 Raja was found guilty of non-compliance with a Remedial Order.
He did not attend but was found guilty by the Magistrate in his absence.
He was sentenced to a £2,000 fine, £170 surcharge and £300 costs.
Karl Battersby, Director of Economy and Infrastructure at Kirklees Council, said:
“We have a very clear standard we expect people to meet in Kirklees and if you’re not doing your bit to keep our borough tidy we will not hesitate to take action.
People who want to do business in Kirklees must operate professionally. Dumping rubbish in this way is not only a blight on our borough but it puts people’s lives in danger.
In this particular case the owner of this business was given plenty of time to act and clear the pile of rubbish but failed to do so. He has shown total disregard towards the council, health and safety and the legal process.
Kirklees is a great place to live, work and do business and we all have a part to play in keeping it safe, clean and tidy.”
What will happen to the waste?
We will continue to pursue the land owners until the land is clear of the waste.
How to report fly tipping
To report fly-tipping and help Kirklees punish those responsible, visit our website.
For more on how to dispose of household waste, visit our website.
Has the rubbish been cleared yet? This is ridiculous and disgusting , maybe they should add the fine to his business rates . This is going to end up like Hunters rubbish tip and the council will end up footing the bill. I can see the business owner doing a flit before this rubbish is dealt with. He’s had almost a year to deal with this! As you say this issue is a fire safety issue. In Canada houses/buildings like this are threatened with being condemned by the fire and police authorities, ie the owner loses the building! We are way too soft in this country.
How about using the money towards removing some of the fly tipping Around the area ?