TWO companies have been ordered to pay out a total of £34,000 for dumping car parts at a Ruislip golf course.

Powerbuild Limited, of Barnet, London, which was developing Lime Trees Park Golf Club, in West End Road, Ruislip, at the time of the offence, was fined £20,000 by Acton magistrates on March 26.

McGee Group Limited, of Crosswall, London, was fined £14,000 for dumping the waste and both companies were also ordered to pay £6,896.45 each towards Environment Agency costs.

Planning permission for the site from Hillingdon Council allowed for re-development using a maximum amount of 200,000 cubic metres of inert material.

The site also had an exemption from waste permitting issued by the Environment Agency, allowing the use of certain specified materials in the redevelopment, such as concrete, brick and tiles.

However, during a routine inspection in July, 2007, the Environment Agency officers noticed waste items which were not permitted under the exemption, including vehicle parts, a large concrete column and rebar, and two pools of oily water.

Powerbuild were advised to stop operations immediately as an offence may have been committed and they were then sent a letter advising that the site exemption had been de-regis-tered.

It was later established that McGee had deposited about 1,900 lorry loads of waste at the golf course between November, 2006 and August, 2007.

A contract between Powerbuild and McGee confirmed that McGee had sole rights to deposit waste at the golf course for a charge of £60 a load.

During another visit in August, 2007, more vehicle parts and badges, a metal chain, a large concrete column, a crate, metal rods and a concrete pillar were found.

Both companies co-operated and undertook a clean up of the area in January and February last year, when about six 16-yard skips of unauthorised material was removed. The exemption was re-issued after this was completed.

Environment officer Jackie Lawrence said: "Companies must remain aware of their obligations and duties under waste law when under-taking developments of this kind.

"The risks posed by depositing inappropriate waste will not be tolerated by the Environment Agency. Hopefully these convictions will send a strong message to similar companies that we will take appropriate enforcement action against parties conducting these types of unlawful activities."