COUNCIL chiefs say they are confident the former Swindon Skips site can be cleared for less than £2m – but admit it will cost tax payers money.

Yesterday it was revealed the company, owned by Lee Averies, is in liquidation, meaning as landowner Swindon Council will be left responsible for clearing the mess.

A figure of £2m had been given for removing the estimated 11,000 tonnes of waste at the site, in Brindley Close, but plans are being drawn up to have as much as possible taken to the neighbouring solid recovered fuel (SRF) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) facilities, which sees waste turned into fuel and not sent to landfill.

The exact amount required will not be known until experts examine the waste properly.

While the waste licence has been surrendered by Swindon Skips, the lease of the site is now in the hands of Averies Recycling, another company run by Lee Averies, which is also in administration.

A spokesman for Baker Tilly, which is handling the liquidation, said: “As Swindon Skips Limited had no formal lease arrangement in place, responsibility for the site reverted to the leaseholders when the company entered liquidation on November 21, 2014.

“The leaseholders in this case are the local authority and Averies Recycling (Swindon) Ltd.

“The process of winding up the company is currently ongoing.”

Coun Brian Ford (Con, Wroughton and Wichelstowe), the cabinet member for waste collection, said: “We need to get access to the site. When the figure of £2m was first given we don’t think the proximity to the SRF and RDF was taken into account, which we believe will significantly reduce the amount it will cost.

“Unfortunately though, through no fault of the council or taxpayer, public money will have to be spent.”

The council Labour group has called for an investigation into why the site was allowed to get into such a bad state.

Coun Mark Dempsey (Lab, Walcot and Park North) said: “I want to know why the council did not step in, as landlord, to force Averies’s company to stop this site getting into this state.

But Coun Ford said: “Swindon Skips was a company that leased the land and paid a rent until they went into liquidation.

“I am happy to work with the opposition but I’m not sure what they want investigating.

“The licence to operate waste was issued by the EA.

“It was their role to monitor the business.”