Safety plea to 'untouched' fire-damaged waste site

The owners of a waste site where a large fire burned for two weeks have been “reminded” of their safety obligations, a council has said.

Buildings were demolished and tonnes of waste removed after the blaze broke out last December at the Supa Skips site in Lancaster.

The city’s council, which contributed £1.4m to the firefighting effort, said the privately-owned premises “appears to be largely untouched” eight months on.

Councillor Phillip Black, leader of Lancaster City Council, said the Supa Skips firm, which has been undergoing a liquidation process since April, “have a duty to ensure that their site is safely maintained and that there are no potential risks to the community”.

“In addition to reminding them about their obligations, we have requested a meeting to discuss matters further, with a view to finding out more about their plans for the long-term future of the building,” he added.

The council said it recouped £764,916 of its contribution from the government “following a period of intense lobbying”.

A representative for the authority added it continued to monitor the site in Port Royal Avenue at the Lune Industrial Estate.

They also said weather changes during the fire meant the plume regularly changed direction and “no area has been subjected to the smoke for extended periods of time - [therefore] significantly decreasing risks to health”.

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