A COMPANY which operates a waste transfer station on the North Farm industrial estate at Tunbridge Wells has been fined a total of £30,000 for breaching licence conditions.

The Erith Haulage Company was prosecuted by the Environment Agency after several offences came to light. It pleaded guilty to all charges.

Sevenoaks magistrates heard that a routine inspection of the site on May 21 last year revealed waste piling much higher than the firm's licence allowed.

Waste was also protruding from the front of the storage bay, and agency officials advised that the problem should be resolved within 72 hours.

But a further inspection on June 12 found the two licence conditions were again being breached. Again, a warning was given to reduce the amount of waste.

When a third check on June 26 found the firm still in breach of the conditions, it was told to take no more waste until levels were back within proper limits.

In mitigation, the company stressed it had been running waste operations for 30 years and had only recently had problems. Difficulties at another site had meant waste could not be moved on and was being stockpiled.

The firm was fined £3,000 for each of the two offences on May 21; £5,000 for each of the two offences on June 12 and £7,000 for each of the two offences on June 26. Costs of £1,260 were also imposed.