A WASTE disposal firm has been fined £20,000 for operating its new plant without a licence. Skipaway began depositing, keeping and treating waste at Medway City Estate before the Environment Agency had approved the paperwork.

Although the three offences did not in fact cause environmental damage, Medway magistrates found the company guilty on all three breaches of the Environmental Protection Act. A fourth charge of failing to comply with section 59 of the Act was dropped.

Daniel Wiley, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said: "The company took a commercial decision for reasons I am not aware of. The application was delayed and it became a necessity for them to deposit, keep and treat waste. Although the licence was not in place, no waste escaped from the control of the centre, so there was no impact on the surrounding area.

"It is a very technical breach of the legislation, without necessarily a detrimental impact on the environment."

Magistrates heard Skipaway, a family business established for 20 years, had previous convictions for similar offences, in 1996, 1993 and 1991. The company pleaded guilty to the offences, but Ian Pentecost, defending, said magistrates should take into account that the breaches had caused no environmental harm.