charlie_mini
29-10-2006, 01:11 PM
found this on the minimag site, could be a bit of a problem but sounds like the police and council trying to get even more £££ out of everyone!
A new scrap order could put resto projects at risk, after a recent ruling by the Environment Agency. The case in question concerned a Lancashire Rover specialists, Terry Brown, who was convicted by Preston Crown Court of keeping ‘controlled waste’ on his property without a licence — the ‘waste’ in question being five Rover SD1s.
The conviction followed a two-year battle between Terry and the Environment Agency after officers visited his property and found the cars. The judge in the case, Judge Gilbert, then told the jury the case turned on the definition of waste and should not take into account Terry’s motives as a classic car enthusiast when reaching a verdict. “Mr Brown… did not regard the cars as waste. He saw them as a valuable resource. That is not the question. If they were waste, the fact that he did not think they were waste does not remove the need for a site licence and pollution controls” he said. He did say however, that a car would “cease to be waste” once it had been restored.
The effects of this ruling on the classic car-restoring scene remain to be seen, but the implications could be serious for people with several unrestored cars on their premises. The ruling effectively redefines any non-working car as scrap — worryingly, making no distinction between businesses and private individuals — and gives upset neighbours an ideal motive for reporting their neighbouring Mini restorers. We’ll keep you up to date on any developments on this issue in Mini Magazine.
:mad: muppets!!
A new scrap order could put resto projects at risk, after a recent ruling by the Environment Agency. The case in question concerned a Lancashire Rover specialists, Terry Brown, who was convicted by Preston Crown Court of keeping ‘controlled waste’ on his property without a licence — the ‘waste’ in question being five Rover SD1s.
The conviction followed a two-year battle between Terry and the Environment Agency after officers visited his property and found the cars. The judge in the case, Judge Gilbert, then told the jury the case turned on the definition of waste and should not take into account Terry’s motives as a classic car enthusiast when reaching a verdict. “Mr Brown… did not regard the cars as waste. He saw them as a valuable resource. That is not the question. If they were waste, the fact that he did not think they were waste does not remove the need for a site licence and pollution controls” he said. He did say however, that a car would “cease to be waste” once it had been restored.
The effects of this ruling on the classic car-restoring scene remain to be seen, but the implications could be serious for people with several unrestored cars on their premises. The ruling effectively redefines any non-working car as scrap — worryingly, making no distinction between businesses and private individuals — and gives upset neighbours an ideal motive for reporting their neighbouring Mini restorers. We’ll keep you up to date on any developments on this issue in Mini Magazine.
:mad: muppets!!