Firm fined £5,000 in scrapyard crackdown

A MUMPS company has been fined £5,000 as part of a national crackdown in illegal scrapyards,

Tanvir Rafiq (26), a director of Oldham Van Breakers Ltd, pleaded guilty to operating without an environmental permit or obtaining an exemption.

Oldham magistrates heard yesterday that Environment Agency officers visited the business at the junction of Garden Street and Bell Street in November, 2008, as part of a national campaign.

It was found to be operating without a permit allowing it to dismantle vehicles which had not been stripped of pollutants such as engine oil and brake fluid.

This would have cost around £2,500 and imposed conditions to protect the environment such as an impermeable ground surface, sealed drains and security

Two more visits were carried out, and on one occasion contaminated waste was seen escaping for the site into a drain.

Suzanne Shaw, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said the business had had an adverse effect on legitimate traders in the area.

She told the court: “This was a deliberate breach of the legislation that continued for a prolonged period of time. The company was well aware of the legislation yet they continued to act well aware that their actions were illegal.”

Denise FitzPatrick, defending, described Rafiq, of Wellington Road, Coppice, as a man of previous good character.

She said there was no evidence of environmental damage, and added that the company had spent the best part of £10,000 trying to obtain the planning permission needed to allow the permit to be granted.

Ms FitzPatrick said the site had been a scrapyard for many years under previous owners and added: “Most of the vehicles that were on the site of Oldham Van Breakers were purchased at auction and had been depolluted before they were brought to Oldham Van breakers.

“However occasionally people would attend asking for a particular vehicle to be scrapped. Rather than turn such vehicles away, these vehicles were depolluted on site.

“Was it not for these occasional vehicles, Oldham Van Breakers could have applied for and could have gained an exemption to acquire a permit.”

Rafiq was also ordered to pay £2,462 costs and a victims’ surcharge of £15.

Chairman of the bench Marilyne Buckley said: “Our concern is you have gained financially by failing to obtain a permit. This is in addition to the potential harm to the general public.”