Sheffield City Council has ordered the owners of the old Hepworth refractory works in the Loxley valley to clear illegally dumped waste and to keep vermin under control.
The council’s Environmental Protection Service has posted ‘Enviro-crime scene’ notices at the factory entrance on Storrs Bridge Lane.
The notices are dated Tuesday, 27th October. They tell the landowners they have 42 days from then to clear the waste.
Then they must then inspect the site once a month to keep it waste-free.
The landowners must also remove materials that could provide ‘harbourage or food’ for rats and mice.
The council served the notices on Patrick Properties, who own the old factories, and on the owners of the adjacent Claremont House.
Claremont House is the semi-derelict detached house that was formerly the social club for factory workers.
The council’s actions follow repeated waste dumping on the sites.
The notices list the following items of waste:
- Electrical and white goods
- Wood
- Metal
- Construction/demolition waste
- Glass
- Food waste
- General household and commercial waste
The council warns the landowners they could face fines of up to £5,000 if they fail to comply with the notices.
Just to let you know that I walked through the old Hepworth Refractory Works yesterday (1/3/21) from the fishery to Storrs Bridge Lane on my way up to Loxley Road and there doesn’t seem to have been any clearance of waste.
There was still a huge amount around.
Best wishes
Rhiannon Jones
Thanks Rhiannon. Yes, we’ve noticed that too. We’ve contacted the council to ask if they could give us an update on the action they’re taking. On a more positive note, we saw contractors on the site yesterday, erecting more secure fencing around the old “Marshalls yard” at the bottom of Storrs Bridge Lane.