A RAFT of new charges relating to the operation of a city centre tyre site have been issued by the Environment Agency.

They include a charge that the owner of the site “kept controlled waste in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.”

Another individual and a Shipley-based company have also now been charged relating to issues with the site.

Stuart Bedford and his company Equalityre were due to go on trial at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court on Thursday on charges relating to a former go-kart track on Spring Mill Street, on the edge of Bradford city centre.

In November 2020, a huge fire spread through this site, leading to a major emergency service response.

The blaze continued for days and at its height up to 100 firefighters were at the scene. It took a week before it was completely extinguished.

The charges do not relate to the fire – but to the safety of the site.

The charges that Bedford and the company were due to answer on Thursday were failing to comply with an order to remove waste from the former go-karting site – issued in October 2020, and another site at Wright Business Park in Doncaster – issued in December 2020.

Bedford did not appear at court.

Joseph Millington, prosecuting the case on behalf of the Environment Agency, announced that no trial relating to those charges would now take place, as a new set of charges had been put to Bedford.

He is now charged with;

  • Knowingly permitting a person to operate a regulated facility, namely the former Kart Track, Spring Mill Street, Bradford, other than under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit between 11/05/2020 and 08/04/202
  • Between 11/05/2020 and 08/04/2021 at Bradford kept controlled waste, namely tyres, in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health
  • On 07/08/2020 at Bradford, being a person subject to a duty of care in respect of controlled waste under section 34(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as to produce all waste transfer notes for controlled waste, failed to comply with that duty
  • Between 31/07/2019 and 21/04/2021 at Doncaster knowingly, caused a person, namely . to operate a regulated facility, namely Wright Business Park Doncaster other than under and to the extent authorised by an environmental permit
  • Between 31/07/2019 and 21/04/2021 at Doncaster kept controlled waste, namely tyres, in a manner likely to cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health
  • On 28/11/2020 at Doncaster, being a person subject to a duty of care in respect of controlled waste under section 34(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as to produce all waste transfer notes, failed to comply with that duty 

Rotherham-based Equalityre has also each been charged with the same six charges.

And a Vicky Bedford has also been charged with these six charges.

Shipley-based Licenced Tyre Disposals has been charged relating to a claim the business sent tyres to the Bradford site.

The charge that company faces is

  • Between 11/05/2020 and 18/07/2020 at Shipley, being a person subject to a duty of care in respect of controlled waste under section 34(1) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as who imports, produces, carried keeps and treats or disposes of controlled waste failed to comply with that duty, in that you failed to take all such measures applicable to you in that capacity as were reasonable in the circumstances to prevent a contravention of section 33 of the Act by the unauthorised or harmful deposition, treatment or disposal of waste.

The new charges were made by the Environment Agency late last month.

The address of both Mr and Mrs Bedford was listed on court documents as being Fairfax Avenue, Harrogate, but the court heard that the pair are believed to be living at a property in Spain.

Mr Millington said although Mr Bedford was aware of the initial charges, and date of today’s planned trial, they could not be certain if he and Mrs Bedford were aware of the new charges.

The case was adjourned until Friday March 3.