Mountains of rubbish cleared from eyesore site at Heysham Business Park

The presence of waste on the site had been a blight to nearby tenants and businesses for several years, following the administration of the previous operator in 2016.

Formerly operated by Hancocks Contractors Ltd, the site accepted a range of industrial and commercial waste, but was subjected to enforcement proceedings by the Environment Agency due to failure to comply with conditions on the Permit.

Chris Farmer, director at Shropshire-based Waste2Resource (W2R), who did the clean up, said: “We have been working closely with the landowners since 2016 and during this time have cleared the site in stages as funding has been provided. Like so many of these sites around the country, the innocent landowner is often left with the financial burden of clearing waste, with costs that run into the millions.”

“Following the sale of Heysham Business Park to Crown Oil in June 2021, the new owners demonstrated a clear commitment from the outset to remove the remaining waste as quickly as possible. W2R partnered with Barrow based Wicks Waste Management to deliver the final phase of the clearance, moving some 12500 tonnes over 16 weeks between September 2021 and January 2022.”

“We are really pleased with the outcome, both for the environment and for the new owners of the site as waste removal will facilitate demolition of buildings no longer fit for purpose and re-development of the wider Business Park.”

Matthew Greensmith, managing director at Crown Oil, said: “We are thrilled to have been able to facilitate the last stage of the waste removal process alongside W2R and look forward to the redevelopment phase which includes upgrading buildings, implementing new security measures, creating secure yards and storage areas, as well as providing an additional location to house our expanding sustainable fuels operation.

Danny Pinkus from Robert Pinkus & Co, the letting agent for the Business Park, adds: “This will provide one of the largest open-storage opportunities in the north-west, available within a fully secured site. These sites are also capable of sub-division from 0.5 acres upwards. In addition to this, we have a range of refurbished warehouse/industrial units available from 2,500sqft up to 70,000sqft and can tailor units to occupier’s individual requirements.

"Heysham Business Park is also one of the few sites in Lancashire that can accommodate new build requirements up to 100,000 sqft, and we also have a significant power supply available for those that need it. These site improvements, together with excellent accessibility from the M6 via the Heysham Link road, is attracting occupier interest from throughout the North West.”

Thomas Charlton, environment management team leader, from the Environment Agency said: “The Environment Agency have been providing advice and guidance to the landowners of an abandoned waste site in Heysham. We are glad to see this site is now cleared, bringing about a great outcome for the local community and putting an end to the abandoned waste’s blight on the environment.

“If you have any suspicions that waste operators may not be complying with environmental regulations or concerns of waste being abandoned, please contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”