Supaskips fire: it’s grossly unfair for Lancaster council to foot the bill, says leader

Labour Councillor Phillip Black said different authorities have been discussing responsibilities and options for tackling the blaze at the former SupaSkips site, which has burned for over two weeks.

But he warned that any long-term impact on the city council’s public services through a lack of reimbursement for fire-response costs would be ‘unfair’.

Fire-crews have been battling the waste materials blaze for over two weeks, which is centred inside a main building.

Efforts to fight the Supaskips blaze have been hindered by large amounts of waste stored inside, which is providing plenty of fuel for the fire to keep burning.

In recent days, Lancaster City Council agreed extra funding of up to £650,000 for more work to end the fire, warning that the alternative is it burning for months.

It had already contributed £262,000 to demolish outbuildings to allow fire-crews greater access.

But the city council also faces financial pressures and is preparing for next year’s budget.

Speaking this week, Councillor Black told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “In releasing funds from our reserves, we find ourselves meeting the costs for an emergency situation which falls outside of our statutory legally required obligations.

“It’s right that we are taking the action necessary to ensure the health of our residents, help nearby affected business and protect the environment.

"We could not in good conscience have left thousands of tons of hazardous waste to burn for weeks or even months.

"However, as a council we cannot be expected to bear this cost.

“Local government has been under incredible financial pressure for more than a decade.

"We’ve faced huge cuts to our budgets, seen soaring inflation and interest rates on borrowing.

"And as the cost of living crisis deepens, more and more people are in need of our services.

“To balance our budget we are already having to close a near £2million funding gap this year.

"For us a ‘reserve’ isn’t money put aside for a rainy day. It forms part of our working budgets and, if spent, will need to be replaced.”

Councillor Black said the money should come from a number of bodies including government departments.

Councillor Black said: “There are a number of bodies which have a measure of responsibility – Lancashire County Council, the Department for

Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), HM Revenue & Customs, the

Environment Agency and, of course, Westminster.

“There are lots of discussions happening, trying to establish who has responsibility and what can be done.

"In the meantime Lancaster City Council is just getting on with dealing with it.

"Ultimately though, if we don’t receive contributions, or are not reimbursed from other agencies and the government, it will impact on our ability to provide front-line services to our residents over the next few years.

"Frankly, that doesn’t seem fair.”