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Glasgow drycleaners issued penalties totalling £9,898 after failing to obtain permits for three separate premises

The Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) were issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to Bearsden Cross Drycleaners Ltd, Bothwell Kleen Ltd and Newton Mearns Drycleaners Ltd, companies all owned and operated by the same sole director, Bhupinder Singh Lalli. 

On several occasions throughout the investigation, SEPA officers wrote to and visited all three companies stating the need for permits even leaving copies of application forms. However, the companies and Mr Singh Lalli repeatedly ignored SEPA’s advice. SEPA’s investigation established that the unauthorised drycleaning occurred at the three premises over a period of seven years at Bothwell Kleen and five years at both Bearsden Cross and Newton Mearns. 

The following civil penalties have been served: 

• Bothwell Kleen Ltd - £3,784.34 
• Bearsden Cross Drycleaners Ltd - £3,057 
• Newton Mearns Drycleaners Ltd - £3,057 

In addition, SEPA issued notices to the three companies totalling £2,969.50 to partially recover the costs associated with the investigation.  

Judith Moore, SEPA said: 

“Dry cleaners use solvents which can be hazardous to the environment and they require a permit from SEPA, stating the conditions which they must adhere with to ensure that hazardous waste is disposed of appropriately and emissions are controlled. This reduces the risk of harmful substances being released into the air, water and soil. 

“Each of the companies, and their sole director, were all aware of the need to have permits but chose not to apply. In addition to the risk to the environment, these businesses have had an unfair advantage compared to other businesses who have applied, and paid for, the permits they need to operate. Compliance with authorised permit requirements is not optional and ignoring repeated attempts by SEPA officers to engage on the matter is unacceptable. These penalties should be a reminder that businesses must act responsibly and within the law, and those that don’t will face serious consequences.” 

Civil penalties

VMPs are discretionary financial penalties which SEPA can impose for a relevant offence following an appropriate investigation. They sit alongside other enforcement tools available to SEPA staff, including advice and guidance, final warning letters, statutory enforcement notices, other civil penalties, including Fixed Monetary Penalties (FMPs) and reports to the Procurator Fiscal.  

SEPA have determined that the total amount of the variable monetary penalties issued is £9898.34 for these offences.   

SEPA’s enforcement action is designed to secure compliance with regulatory requirements, protecting and improving the environment. It aims to bring activity under regulatory control, stop offending, stop harm and/or reduce the risk of harm arising from non-compliance. It is also designed to ensure restoration or remediation of harm caused by regulatory non-compliance where appropriate.  

Notes to Editors

SEPA are satisfied that between the 1st January 2019 and the 28 March 2024, Bearsden Cross Drycleaners Ltd, at 136 Drymen Road, Bearsden, were operating an installation or plant without authorisation of a permit, amounting to an offence in terms of Regulation 67(1)(a) of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (PPC 2012). 

SEPA are satisfied that between the 11th March 2019 and the 28 March 2024, Newton Mearns Drycleaners Ltd, at Unit 8B, 3 Greenlaw Place, Newton Mearns, were operating an installation or plant without authorisation of a permit, amounting to an offence in terms of Regulation 67(1)(a) of PPC 2012. 

SEPA are satisfied that between the 6th February 2017 and the 28 March 2024, Bothwell Kleen Ltd, at 33 Main Street, Bothwell, were operating an installation or plant without authorisation of a permit, amounting to an offence in terms of Regulation 67(1)(a) of PPC 2012. 

In terms of Regulation 11(2) of PPC 2012, no person may operate an installation or any plant without the authority of a permit.  Regulation 11 applies to Part A installations, Part B installations, any mobile plant, and solvents installations.  Regulation 12 of PPC 2012 provides that a ‘solvents installation’ is an installation where an activity listed in Table 1, Part 1 of Schedule 2 of PPC 2012, is operated above the solvent consumption threshold for that activity, a ‘solvent emissions activity’.   

Dry cleaning is listed as a solvent emission activity in Table 1, Schedule 2, Part 1 of PPC 2012.  In terms of Paragraph 12, Schedule 2, Part 4 of PPC 2012, ‘dry cleaning’ is defined as ‘any industrial or commercial activity using volatile organic compounds in an installation to clean garments, furnishing and similar consumer goods excluding the manual removal of stains and spots in the textile and clothing industry’.  Dry cleaning is therefore an activity requiring the authority of a permit in terms of Regulation 11 of PPC 2012.   

Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) cover a wide range of environmental offences, including offences under The Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 and the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012.  

Information on Variable Monetary Penalties imposed is available on SEPA’s website at Penalties imposed and undertakings accepted, along with details of Fixed Monetary Penalties (FMPs) and Enforcement Undertakings accepted.  

Information on how a VMP is calculated is available on SEPA’s website.