Lancaster council to spend up to £262k to demolish buildings at SupaSkips fire site

Just after 5.30am on Sunday a fire started at the SupaSkips building on Port Royal Avenue in the city.

The fire involves a large amount of waste and is producing a visible smoke plume.

Efforts to fight the fire to date have been impeded by smaller outbuildings next to the main building, which have restricted access to firefighters.

To allow for greater access, a multi-agency group coordinating the incident response has agreed the outbuildings should be demolished.

The works will be funded by Lancaster City Council and may cost up to £262,000.

Councillor Phillip Black, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “This incident has already greatly affected local residents and businesses and the longer it continues, the greater the risk to those fighting the fire and the wider community.

“It is imperative that we do all we can to bring this incident to a conclusion and while the emergency services have done a brilliant job so far, the presence of the outbuildings has slowed progress.

“By demolishing these buildings we will provide greater access to the scene and improve our chances of successfully managing the incident.”

Area Manager, Neil Taylor, from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are grateful for the support of Lancaster City Council.

"The demolition will provide our firefighters with greater access to the site which will enable us to extinguish this fire faster and reduce the impact on the local residents and businesses.”