Northampton town centre business fined after 'repeatedly breaching waste rules'
A Northampton town centre business has been fined after repeatedly failing to comply with waste management rules designed to keep the town centre clean.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has released a statement confirming Beauty Cosmetics (Northampton) Limited, which operates as Beauty Queens Hair & Cosmetics on Abington Street, was found guilty in its absence at Northampton Magistrates' Court on July 28 of failing to comply with a legal notice relating to the storage of commercial waste. The court imposed the maximum fine of £1,000, along with a £400 victim surcharge, and ordered the company to pay WNC’s prosecution costs of £823.59.
A West Northamptonshire Council spokesperson said the prosecution followed repeated breaches of the Northampton Town Centre Environmental Policy, which requires businesses to store commercial waste containers off public land and only put them out for collection during designated collection periods.
Despite receiving advice and guidance from council officers on a number of occasions, the business continued to leave a commercial waste eurobin on public land in Dychurch Lane, the spokesperson said.
The council then served a legal notice under Section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requiring the business to make suitable arrangements for storing and collecting its waste. After the business failed to comply, it was issued with a fixed penalty notice, which was paid, but further breaches continued. A second fixed penalty notice was later issued but was ignored.
A WNC spokesperson said subsequent inspections found the eurobin remained on public land, leading the authority to begin prosecution proceedings. The spokesperson added that the business had limited engagement with the council throughout the investigation and failed to respond to most correspondence.
Councillor Andrew Last, cabinet member for HR, corporate and regulatory services, said: "All businesses have a duty to store their commercial waste properly in line with the requirements of the Town Centre Policy. Waste that is not stored correctly attracts vermin, causes litter and encourages fly tipping, which gives a negative impression of our town centre and can deters visitors.
"This case sends a strong message to local businesses who may be tempted not to store their waste correctly. Our enforcement officers regularly patrol our town centres and breaches could result in a costly fine or formal enforcement action."