The Environment Agency has published statutory guidance for standard rules permit SR2008 No 9 covering the storage of asbestos waste. The guidance sets out strict conditions for how asbestos waste must be stored, including secure containment, segregation, time limits, and prohibitions on repackaging, loose storage, and certain handling methods.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has prosecuted three landlords after they ignored an Improvement Notice relating to serious hazards in a rented home, including damp and mould, lack of heating, electrical and fire risks, and structural concerns. The landlords were fined and ordered to complete the required remedial works, and the case will be reported to the Rogue Landlord Database.
County Durham Council secured a fine of more than £42,000 against Carter Property Services after the company was found guilty of 13 breaches of its Selective Licence across eight rented properties. The case involved serious management failures, including missed inspections, overdue gas safety certification and reports of extremely poor living conditions at one property.
The Environment Agency has revoked permits for two waste sites in Greater Manchester and Derbyshire after repeated breaches of permit conditions. The sites must cease authorised activities and remove waste, with the revocations taking effect unless successfully appealed to the Planning Inspector.
A London landlord and his property management company have been fined and ordered to pay court costs totalling £63,000 after being prosecuted over unsafe conditions at an unlicensed 22-room HMO in Kensington and Chelsea. The case involved serious fire and health and safety failings, including damaged fire doors, inadequate fire separation, covered alarms and electrical defects, with the court finding the operators failed to act on opportunities to remedy the issues.
A construction worker has died following an incident at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, prompting a joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive and West Midlands Police. The hospital trust and contractor BSN Group have both said they are supporting those affected while enquiries continue.
A lettings agent and four others have been convicted in connection with an organised cannabis cultivation network operating through multiple rented properties in Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes. Police said fraudulent tenancy documents were used and that the agency’s offices contained evidence linked to the criminal activity, with sentencing still to follow for at least one defendant.
The article warns landlords to handle waste carefully when cleaning, repairing or refreshing properties during the summer. It highlights that improper disposal of hazardous materials such as asbestos, lead paint and treated timber could expose landlords to prosecution.
The First-tier Tribunal has published Form ESS01, which landlords can use to dispute a financial penalty imposed by a local council for breach of electrical safety duties. The notice explains that the form is available as a PDF and provides practical guidance on accessing or printing it.
A London construction company and its director have been fined after an incorrectly assembled tower scaffold overturned and injured two members of the public in Putney. The Health and Safety Executive found failures in the design, installation and maintenance of the temporary structure, including inadequate separation from the public and the added wind load created by sheeting.
A residential renovation project in Bangor, North Wales, led to the death of an 18-year-old apprentice joiner after unsecured board materials fell on her. The employer was fined and its director received a suspended prison sentence after the Health and Safety Executive found failures in supervision, risk assessment, training and safe storage of materials.
A man in his thirties died after falling from height at a construction site in Mayfair, central London. Police are leading the response, and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed; the article also notes that falls from height remain the most common cause of fatal injury across sectors.
