A Romford skip hire company has been ordered to pay over £1,000 after it continuously ignored Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) issued by Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers. 

 

During a routine patrol, on the 23 June 2020, K&J Skip Hire Ltd of Rowan Way, Romford was issued with a £100 FPN by enforcement officers for placing a builder’s skip on the highway at St Chads Gardens, Chadwell Heath without permission. The company was then issued with a second fine on 14 July 2020 for the same reason.

 

The FPNs were issued as a discharge of liability for the offences and were supposed to be paid within 14 days. However, the company failed to pay both fines and the case went to court.

 

The case was heard at Barkingside Magistrates Court, last week, Tuesday 15 February and in their absence, the company was found guilty and ordered to pay a £300 fine, £819 in costs to Barking and Dagenham Council and a Victim Surcharge of £34, totalling £1,153.

 

Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “This business has not only ignored the rules twice, but also ignored our enforcement action on both occasions. They clearly have no regard for the rules. 

 

“All they had to do was pay a £100 fine and then follow the rules, but now they owe more than £1,000. I hope they have learnt their lesson.”

 

Placing a skip on the highway without permission from the local authority is an offence contrary to S139(3) Highways Act 1980.