SWINDON North MP Justin Tomlinson has said there needs to be a change in the law to give local authorities more powers to prevent another ‘Averies’ occurring.

It follows the news that Swindon Borough Council could be left to foot a £2million bill to clear up the Swindon Skips site in Cheney Manor as it is the land owner.

Swindon Skips allowed waste to pile to dangerous levels so had its licence withdrawn by the Environment Agency for endangering public health.

The company is owned by Lee Averies, who also owns Averies at Marshgate, where there was a major fire last summer.

Opposition have said there needs to be a full investigation into how the situation got so bad but the MP, along with his Swindon South colleague Robert Buckland, says current legislation limited the council’s powers. Mr Tomlinson said: “Myself and Robert met the Environment Agency as we wanted to understand what powers the council do have and what more powers they should be given.

“It seems that the current process is too slow and there should be powers available to cease the companies trading until any issues are dealt with rather than just letting them continuing.

“This is something we would like to see addressed in the law and I know other MPs who have had similar issues so will be supportive.”

However, Councillor Mark Dempsey (Lab, Walcot and Park North), who is the parliamentary candidate for Swindon North, has criticised the administration for allowing the situation to get so bad and is demanding a full enquiry.

He said: “We have learned that the council, as the landlord for the Averies site at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, could be left with the cost of cleaning up with the site, estimated at £2 million or a 2.5 per cent increase in council tax.

“As landlord, the council should never have allowed the site to get into the state it did. Had the Council used its powers as landlord to ensure the site was properly managed, this whole problem could have been avoided.

“I want to know why the council did not step in as landlord to force Averies’ company to stop this site getting into this state.

“The news also underlines why it is vital that we get a proper inquiry into the Averies’ waste crisis. I will be pressing the council’s scrutiny committee to start this work as soon as possible.”