Waste site issued warning to clear area after fires

The landowner of a waste site where two fires have broken out in three weeks has been served a warning notice to clear the area.

The fires at Greener World in Farnham Road, Slough, which is located next to the mainline railway from Paddington, broke out on 17 March and 5 April.

Slough Borough Council said it was working with police and the Environment Agency (EA) to urge the removal of all the waste on the site "quickly and safely".

The authority said if action was not taken, a formal community protection notice (CPN) could be issued – failure to comply can result in prosecution and an unlimited fine.

Slough Borough Council, Slough Police and the EA said in a joint statement: "Investigations have begun and are continuing by both the council and the EA into breaches of planning conditions and alleged environmental offences.

"We are taking this action because any processing of waste on this site is illegal, and activity to clear the area needs to be well managed, controlling the risk of fire and limiting any potential disruption to the community.

"This site is next to the mainline railway from Paddington, a major data centre, around 100 homes and local schools, which all could be affected by a fire directly or from smoke."

The authority added that the site was not being operated by the landowner, but he was "liable for what takes place on his land".

It added: "We will not hesitate to take more formal action, with partners, should the landowner or the operators on the site not respond swiftly."

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