Work to tackle major fire in Lancaster could reach £900k

Thousands of tonnes of compacted waste is stored at the former SkupaSkips site

The potential cost of demolition contractors' work to deal with a huge fire which burnt through thousands of tonnes of waste could reach £900,000.

The blaze broke out at a former skip hire site on Port Royal Avenue in Lancaster on 3 December and was extinguished three weeks later.

Lancaster City Council allocated the money last month to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible.

The cost will be discussed by councillors this week.

According to a council report, the site was connected to the former Supaskips waste business and THINK Skips Ltd.

The city council's chief executive Mark Davies held a number of  meetings in December with councillors and officers to quickly allocate cash to tackle the fire.

Outbuildings were demolished and waste removed as crews tackled the blaze

A report outlined how the chief executive can authorise any action reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of people or the safety of property.

He took two urgent decisions - one on 6 December to work with contractors to demolish ancillary buildings to bring the fire to a swift end. 

These works were capped at £262,000.

He took a second urgent decision on 15 December to reduce the "significant economic, social and environmental impact'" of the fire.

This meant the continued use of a demolition contractor with an additional fee of up to £650,000.

But there is uncertainty about who will meet the costs.

Another report regarding the second urgent decision states: "Lancaster City Council does not have any direct responsibility for the site, which is privately owned.

"The responsibility for this rests with the owners, who are currently in administration."

• Huge fire burning for weeks is finally put out

• Fire at waste premises could burn for months - MP

• Crews tackle blaze at commercial waste premises

Without funding to support clearance work, the city council report said firefighters would have reverted to a "defensive approach", meaning the blaze could have last for months and further fires could have started.

The full cost of the demolition work could reach about £900,000.

All avenues to recover the costs will be pursued as a priority, the report added.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]