Supa Skips Consultation
Residents are being welcomed to give their views on the next steps that should be taken to tackle the continuing dangers posed by fires at the former Supa Skips building on the Lune Industrial Estate.
On December 3 a major fire broke out at the building, causing huge plumes of smoke to envelop nearby homes.
To aid the firefighting efforts, Lancaster City Council agreed to contribute up to £912,000 to test and clear the waste, meaning the main fire could be extinguished.
However, smaller pockets of fire continue to be found on the site and funding to remove the remaining waste has now run out.
To clear the site of waste and remove further risk will require another cash injection, bringing the total bill to £1.4million This is in addition to the direct costs incurred by the fire service in fighting the blaze.
Due to A1 Supa Skips Ltd being in administration, there is little prospect of the company directly contributing towards the site clearance costs, and to date no funding has been received from any other agency.
We would like to hear your views on the next steps that should be taken to battle the continuing dangers posed by fires at the former Supa Skips building on the Lune Industrial Estate, by telling us your thoughts below.
Option A: Pause site activity until further funding is secured.
Advantages: There would be no further financial burden on Lancaster City Council.
Disadvantages: While the blaze is contained for now, it is likely that pockets of fire will continue to be found and these have the potential to escalate further.
Option B: Public funding is found to provide the remaining works to clear the waste in full.
Advantages: Removing the remaining waste would also take away any further risk of the fire reoccurring.
Disadvantages: While efforts to seek contributions from other agencies, including the Government, will continue, given the lack of response so far, it is not known if funding will be forthcoming. Lancaster City Council would therefore bear the cost which creates further pressures on the council’s budget.
To provide the opportunity to find out more about the efforts to tackle the fire and the next steps, a public drop-in session will be held at Lancaster Cricket and Sports Club on Thursday 22nd February from 5pm-7pm.
