Legal action could be taken over dockside mound of rubbish

There are still around 600 bales of rubbish at Goole Docks, of the 4050 originally left there last May, despite notices served by the Environment Agency.

In a letter to a councillor the Environment Agency said the rubbish could finally be moved by the end of March at the latest, adding that the situation was “not ideal”.

The Agency said a case file “regarding non-compliance with enforcement notices” had been passed to their legal department.

One of the parties involved is believed to have lodged an appeal against enforcement.

The Agency said investigations had revealed “a much wider and far more complex enforcement issue than anticipated”, adding: “I cannot provide further details on this at the moment as our investigations are continuing but I can tell you we are now at the stage of instructing barristers.” The rubbish caused a massive stink in the town last summer, with complaints from residents over flies and odour.

Goole councillor Keith Moore said it had been a “fiasco” from start to finish.

In a statement the Agency said they were in discussions with NW Trading, which manages the land where the rubbish is stored.

The Agency served a notice against NW Trading in November to remove waste which had been deposited without an environmental permit.

Last June it served a similar notice against Leeds Paper Recycling, which brought the refuse to the docks. Both firms were unavailable for comment yesterday.