THE owner of a Lakeside skip hire firm has been fined £400 plus £990 costs by Redditch magistrates for breaching a condition notice by storing scrap metal, old furniture and other waste on site.

Paul Williams, of Williams Skip Hire, Brook Street, admitted the offence, which involved breaching Condition 3 of planning permission stating 'the site shall not be used for the storage of scrap or waste or for waste transfer'.

Following complaints from residents and local businesses, Redditch Council issued a Breach of Condition Notice on February 10, 2000, which was to be complied with within 29 days.

A council spokesman said: "However, further complaints were received that scrap metal and waste were being stored within Unit 1 Brook Street and, as a result, a report was submitted to the planning and transportation committee, who authorised prosecution action to be taken against Mr Williams.

"Site monitoring continued and further site visits and complaints revealed the storage of scrap and waste within the site was continuing.

"On September 26, 2000, an updated report was submitted to the committee, who authorised prosecution action.

"Following the committee's decision, the enforcement officer made a number of site visits during October 2000 and found a number of skips laden with scrap metal and waste were being stored on the site."

Town hall enforcement officer Alan Gall said siting this type of waste was inappropriate for the location because it was right next to a residential caravan park.

He added: "It was unsightly and causing problems with dust blowing onto nearby units on the caravan park."