A Starbeck food retailer was fined £500 at York Magistrates Court in a case brought by Harrogate Borough Council after it failed to tidy up its kerb-side bins.
Good Food GF Limited was taken to court by the borough council after local residents complained about its untidy bins.
The company was served a Section 47 notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by the council in November to ensure its waste was stored correctly.
Under the act, the council can insist that commercial or industrial waste is stored correctly to make sure it doesn’t cause a nuisance.
The order was served after a visit to the premises on Starbeck High Street. The council advised business owner Andrew Daly to replace a damaged bin and removed loose bags left either side of the bin.
However, a month later the bin hadn’t been replaced.
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The council issued Good Food GF Ltd a £100 fixed penalty notice. Mr Daly failed to pay the fine despite numerous requests.
The council said it then saw court as the only resolution. On July 16, the company was fined £500 and ordered to pay £125 as a contribution to the council’s costs.
Councillor Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and safer communities, said:
“Good Food GF Ltd and Mr Andrew Daly had numerous chances to address the concerns of local residents and the borough council.
“Failure to address something which could have been resolved quite easily has resulted in a significant financial penalty. And I’m afraid Mr Andrew Daly has only got himself to blame.
“The direct action of the council’s environmental health and legal teams, following concerns from local residents, has led to this prosecution and I’d like to thank both officers and residents for helping to address this matter.”