NEWS
Fines and prosecutions Company fined after Salford fire
PHILLIP ROGERS was fined in court over a ‘huge blaze’ in June 2018, which occurred at his Rogers Pallets site in Irlam, Manchester, and which‘resulted in substantial damage’. Manchester Evening News
reported on the prosecution of Mr Rogers after the fire at Northbank Industrial Park on 23 June 2018, which required more than 40 firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to attend and which ‘sent black smoke billowing into the air’ that could be ‘seen for miles’. The fire involved a ‘large amount’ of wooden pallets, but spread to lorries and forklift trucks, with roads closed due to the risk of gas cyclinders on site exploding. Crews managed to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby
buildings, and had to draw water from the Manchester Ship Canal while fighting it. At Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court, it was reported that a week prior to the fire, Salford City Council’s environmental protection officers had received information relating to weekend skip fires at the site and so, post fire, an investigation was begun by the council. On 18 July 2018, the council
served Mr Rogers with an abatement notice to ‘cease any fires taking place on the site with immediate effect’. Despite this, the notice was ‘subsequently breached on multiple occasions’, with Mr Rogers – on being interviewed – claiming to ‘be trying to keep warm on cold damp days’. He pleaded guilty to four charges of contravening an abatement
notice, was fined £4,679 plus costs of £2,610, and was also ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge. David Lancaster, the lead
member for environment and community safety, said: ‘Mr Rogers ignored clear legal instructions to avoid any fires at all after one of his previous skip fires to dispose of waste caused damage to local businesses, led to nearby streets being closed and saw 15 fire engines called to tackle it. ‘He told the magistrates they
were only brazier fires to help him keep warm, but any fire in a woodyard has the potential to spiral out of control. I hope now he has been prosecuted for breaching the abatement notice, that he understands no fires means no fires at all.’
Another ‘rogue’ HMO landlord prosecuted intruders’, with the issues deemed ‘an imminent risk’ to tenant safety. A reinspection in April found that
LATIF REHMAN was prosecuted by Dudley Council for breaching an emergency prohibition order regarding a house in multiple occupation (HMO). Dudley News reported on the
council’s case at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, stating Mr Rehman was prosecuted for three breaches of an emergency prohibition order relating to an HMO in Netherton. Officers inspected the three storey, four bedroom HMO in February after a tenant complaint, and found ‘numerous’ fire and electrical safety hazards, alongside ‘risk of entry by
‘insufficient works’ had taken place, most notably that fire doors ‘still failed to comply with regulations’, while property access was ‘not properly controlled and damp was ‘still present’. The private sector housing team brought the case against Mr Rehman, who was fined £151,070 for ‘failing to rectify’ any of the issues discovered. This broke down into £50,000
for each of the three offences, as well as £1,000 in costs and a £170 victim surcharge, with the
16 APRIL 2020
www.frmjournal.com
council considering applying for a rent repayment order and banning order against Mr Rehman – he had been prosecuted two years ago and ordered to pay over £340,000 ‘after illegally converting houses into bedsits’. Alan Lunt, deputy chief executive
of Dudley Council, said: ‘Landlords are not above the law. They must comply with standards to fulfil their legal responsibility to protect the safety of their tenants. This case demonstrates that we take these cases very seriously and will take action against anyone failing to fulfil their obligation.’
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