Birmingham skip firm fined £9,495 for failing to clear illegal waste site despite court order
A Birmingham skip hire company has been ordered to pay £9,495.50 after failing to comply with a court order to remove waste from a site in the city.
Action Skip Hire Limited pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on March 2 in a case brought by the Environment Agency.
The firm had previously been ordered to clear all waste from land off Oxford Street in Digbeth, Birmingham, after operating an illegal waste site.
At an earlier hearing on July 7, 2025, magistrates ordered the company to pay more than £48,000 for running the waste site without the necessary environmental permit. As part of that ruling, the company was also instructed to remove all waste from the land by October 7, 2025.
However, an inspection by Environment Agency officers on October 8, 2025 found that various quantities of waste still remained at the location.
The court heard that the company had been told during the July hearing that it could apply for extra time if it was unable to meet the deadline. No request for an extension was ever made.
Prosecutors said the firm had also ignored previous attempts by the Environment Agency to engage with it about the site and the removal of the waste.
Because the waste had not been cleared by the deadline set by the court, the Environment Agency brought the case for failing to comply with the original order.
Magistrates ordered Action Skip Hire Limited to pay £9,495.50 following its guilty plea.
The Environment Agency said it brought the case after officers discovered the waste had remained on the site despite the clear instruction from the court that it should be removed.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: "The Environment Agency will pursue any person or company that fails to uphold the law to protect nature and will continue to press for the strongest possible penalties.
"Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and harm human health. If anyone has environmental concerns they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111."
