Wirral Council has successfully prosecuted two Wirral based skip companies for failing to obtain the necessary permits for the placement of skips on the highway.

Citi Skips Limited were found guilty of two counts of placing skips on the highway without authority, at Serpentine Road, Wallasey on 9 December 2008 and at Paignton Road, Wallasey on 12 December 2008. They were fined £1000 (the maximum permissible for this offence) and ordered to pay £150 prosecution costs to the council and a £15 victims surcharge for both of these offences.

H and H Waste Transfer Limited were also found guilty of three counts of placing skips on the highway without authority, at Ben Nevis Road, Prenton on 14 January 2009, at Upper Brassey Street, Birkenhead on 21 January 2009 and at Strathcona Road, Wallasey on 29 January 2009. They were fined £1000 (the maximum permissible for this offence) and ordered to pay £150 prosecution costs to the council and a £15 victims surcharge for each of these 3 offences.

Skip hire companies are responsible for applying for a permit for each individual skip – detailing the intended location, date of delivery and size of the skip being sited. The Council suspects that some skip companies are charging customers the permit fees, but are failing to apply to the Council for the necessary permits.

The Council is urging residents to ensure that they see the appropriate paperwork for skips they have hired.

Director of Technical Services, David Green said,

“The regulations exist to protect the safety of road users and pedestrians. Through these rules, we can reduce potential accidents by ensuring that skips are placed in appropriate locations are fully lit and marked and have the appropriate public liability insurance. We urge householders to ensure that their skip companies show them the correct paperwork for placement of their skip.”

“We are working with many skip companies across Wirral but a few companies are persistently failing to comply. In these cases, prosecution is a last resort.”

Information about the requirements for the placing of skips on the highway and a list of skip companies know to be following the correct procedures within Wirral can be found on Wirral Council’s website.http://www.wirral.gov.uk