Calls have been made for an "urgent review" of a recycling centre in Hitchin after a second fire in less than two months.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the Nationwide Metal Centre in Cadwell Lane at 11.50pm on February 7, following reports of a fire.
Six fire engines and an aerial ladder platform attended the scene where crews worked until 6.30am to extinguish a large pile of scrap metal.
That was the second fire at the site in less than two months, following a blaze on the night of Monday, December 11, and now Bearton ward councillors Ian Albert, Val Bryant and Dave Winstanley have called for action.
READ MORE: Second fire in two months breaks out at Hitchin recycling centre
"We are calling upon the relevant agencies, the Environment Agency, Health & Safety Executive, Herts Fire Service, North Herts Council and Herts County Council to urgently review the licence to operate of Nationwide Metal Centre," said Cllr Albert.
READ MORE: WATCH: Fire rages at Hitchin recycling centre
"We can’t just wait for another fire or injuries to happen before something is done. We were relieved that all the firefighters involved were safe.
"In addition, we were shocked to learn that just before the first fire, Herts County Council had let a £2million contract with the company to receive and collect metal waste materials from Hertfordshire’s recycling centres.
"In my role as county councillor, I will be asking the council to urgently review this contract and whether it should continue."
Before the first blaze, nearby residents made complaints about "noise, fire and explosions" at the site, with Cllr Bryant warning about the risk of future fires at the site.
"We were saddened but not surprised to hear about the latest fire at Nationwide Metal Recycling. We had warned before Christmas that about the likelihood of future fires and the dangers to residents," Cllr Albert noted.
In response, a Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said: "Hertfordshire County Council has two contracts in place with Nationwide Metals Recycling Limited (NMR) including Recycling Centre haulage services and the collection and treatment of scrap metals and lead acid batteries.
"NMR have provided services to Hertfordshire County Council in the current location since 2012 and we are confident that the organisation is reputable and compliant with all relevant legislative requirements for the services they provide for us.
"We join other local authorities and industry bodies in seeking further legislative and regulatory support for local authorities and their contracted operators to help reduce the risk of fires in the waste industry.
"As with many problematic waste streams, producer responsibility and appropriate consideration at the product design stage are key to driving environmental improvement and reducing risk."
The Comet reached out to Nationwide Recycling Centre, but did not receive a response.
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