Green shop owner is fined by council...for not producing any rubbish

With its emphasis on re-using old materials or selling them as scrap, Mark Howard's bicycle shop is a model of environmental efficiency.



So you might have imagined that his local council would be grateful to him for enhancing the area's green credentials.

But instead the father of four has been hit with a £180 fine - because officers refuse to believe he doesn't create any commercial waste.



Green effort: Mark Howard, pictured outside his bicycle store, has labelled Southend Council's move to fine him as 'totally stupid'

If the charge is not paid within ten days it will rise to £300, and ultimately Mr Howard could be hauled before a court.

Mr Howard stores surplus materials such as cardboard boxes and old pedals away for re-use, while bent steel or aluminium frames that can't be salvaged are sold for scrap.



The dispute centres around a certificate issued by council waste contractors Cory when businesses pay them £80 to supply 50 commercial waste bags, which can be collected when full. Five weeks ago Mr Howard, 50, who runs Sutton Road Cycles in Southend, received a letter from Southend Council asking how he disposed of waste.

When he rang up to explain, no one believed that he did not use the service and he was told that someone would visit his premises.

'An officer came round a week later but he didn't look round or ask any questions,' he said. 'He just handed me another letter which said I must pay a fixed penalty.

'They didn't give me a chance to show them what I do - which is better than the council contractor's service because their waste goes to landfill.'

Mr Howard, who is married to Karen, 46, says he can prove what he does with his waste by showing council officials his paperwork.

But he added: 'Despite repeated calls I was fobbed off all the time. I have tried to get an interview with the director of the department but nothing has happened. This is totally stupid. The council must have money to burn because they want this case to go to court.

'I'm not some environmental fruitcake trying to save the world. I'm just an ordinary person using my brain to avoid waste. But they don't seem to care.'

Southend Council yesterday defended its actions. Simon Crowther, group manager for waste, said: 'Mr Howard is required under the Environmental (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 to produce evidence as to how he legally and lawfully disposes of commercial waste under his control.

'Mr Howard has been issued with a fixed-penalty fine due to the fact he failed to provide this evidence.'