Environmental agency shuts down operations at blaze hit Sandycroft recycling firm

The recycling firm at the centre of last weeks huge blaze in Sandycroft has been de-registered by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) after officers found it was no longer able to operate safely.

The move means no more waste will be allowed onto a site “in the interests of public safety”.

Flintshire County Council and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have supported NRW who moved swiftly to de-register the site operated by 300 Recycling on Factory Road, Sandycroft.

Officers said that carrying on with operations would pose an unacceptable risk to people and the environment, the action means that it is now also illegal to store and treat waste on site.

A spokesperson for Natural Resources Wales said “officers will now work with the company to make sure this happens and discuss the future of the site with the owners.

Natural Resources Wales, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Flintshire County Council, and the North Wales Regional Emergency Planning Services are working together to address different aspects of this site and its risks.

NRW is responsible for environmental protection, NWFRS has responsibility for minimising future fire risk from the site while officers from Flintshire Council’s Public Protection Service provide advice and guidance about public safety if required.”

Anthony Randles, North East Wales team leader for Natural Resources Wales, said:

“It has become apparent to us that it’s no longer possible for this site to operate safely without posing an unacceptable risk to people and the environment.

As a result we have moved quickly to de-register the site.

This means that they can no longer accept any more waste on to the site and must take immediate steps to reduce the risk it poses.

We will be working closely with the site operators to help them do this.

Our priority must always be to protect people and the local environment and that’s what we have done in this instance.”

Last weeks fire, which at its height was tackled by over 60 firefighters, is the second at 300 Recycling Ltd in the past two months, the firm specialises on recycling plastics, tyres, coat hangers and mattresses.

Natural Resources Wales revealed they sent a letter to the firm last year over concerns about the amount of waste stored at the site off Factory Road.

Nick Thomas, North East Wales Operations Manager for Natural Resources Wales, said:

“We had some concerns about this site and issued a warning letter to the operators last year.

This was specifically to remind them about the volume of waste they were allowed to store on site.

We began an investigation following a fire at the site on 9 March. That is complex and ongoing work, looking at whether the operator was storing more waste on site than allowed.”

300 Recycling have not commented on the latest incident.