A West Midlands waste management company has handed a local nature recovery project £100,000 after a fire occurred at one of its sites.

Axil Integrated Services Ltd has offered the Purple Horizon’s Nature Recover Project £100,000 after a fire took place at its Cannock site in 2022 and contaminated water was used to put out the fire.

The contaminated water was contained on the site and removed and Axil agreed to remedial works, following intervention from the Environment Agency.

As part of the agreement, Axil offered £100,000 to the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country towards its Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project.

It is one of 12 nature recovery projects across England.

Environment Agency officers said the company had co-operated fully following the incident, submitting a full incident report and statements admitting their failures within two days and carrying out repair work.

“Enforcement Undertakings allow polluters to positively address and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents,” the agency’s lead investigator, Graham Aberley said.

“The Environment Agency is increasingly using this method of enforcement for suitable cases to restore the environment, improve practices of the offending company and avoid longer criminal court cases. However, we will prosecute in appropriate cases.

“As a result of the Enforcement Undertaking the Environment Agency has decided not to pursue any possible prosecution or other sanction for an environmental offence which may have been committed.

Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project’s project manager, Chloe Hardman added: “We are glad that this funding is being made available to benefit nature in the area between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park.

“It will make a real difference to our partners at wildlife charities and local councils, who are working to create a healthier environment for nature and people.”

This latest news comes after Budwieser Budva UK handed Keep Britain Tidy £414,000 after it emerged the beer importer has been breaching recycling regulations for 18 years.

The Bristol-based firm should have registered in 2004 as a packaging producer and taken measures to ensure its waste is recovered and recycled.

But an Environment Agency probe found that it had failed to do so, with the company claiming it was unaware of the regulations involved.

Charities are urged to report any environmental issues to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

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