Lancaster fire: City council to increase funds to help stop waste fire

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was deep-seated in the large quantities of compacted waste

A council is to increase its spending on a derelict site to help firefighters deal with a blaze that has been burning there for two weeks.

Lancaster City Council said it had spent £262,000 on removing buildings to provide access to the former SupaSkips site, where a fire began on 3 December.

It said a further £650,000 would be used to move about 13,000 tonnes of rubbish which was "providing fuel".

The government said it was considering whether to contribute to the costs.

A government minister has met Cat Smith, the Labour MP for the area, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is looking at whether the request for Bellwin funding, a scheme which reimburses local authority costs for the immediate phases of emergencies, "meets the criteria".

A representative for the department said they were working with local partners to ensure that the health risks and environmental consequences of the fire were "minimised".

The council said that, without funding to support clearance of the rubbish, the blaze in Port Royal Avenue could last for months.

Lancaster City Council will spend a further £650,000 on removing waste, having already spent £262,000 to demolish outbuildings

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was deep-seated in the large quantities of compacted waste and it would take considerable resources to extinguish.

Council leader Phillip Black said that while the authority did not have "any direct responsibility" for the privately-owned site, "we need a swift resolution for the sake of residents, businesses and to protect the environment".

"Rather than wait any longer for a decision over who is responsible and on possible funding, the council is stepping up to the plate to get the job done now," he said.

Mr Black said waste removal could bring the fire to an end "in time for Christmas", but added that the council was not "willing to bear the financial burden alone".

"We'll continue to seek contributions from government and the other agencies involved as otherwise this will leave a huge dent in our already-stretched finances," he added.

A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson on 6 December and later bailed.

The Environment Agency has also launched an investigation into activities at the site, including the previous operations and waste storage.

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