Hitchin MP brings industry leaders to Westminster to tackle industrial fire risks

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MP

THURSDAY 11^th DECEMBER 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Following a series of industrial waste fires in Hitchin in 2023 and 2024, local MP Alistair Strathern has convened leading experts, local authorities, and safety campaigners in Westminster to address the growing threat posed by recycling lithium-ion batteries.

The roundtable, “A Burning Issue: How Policy Can Defuse Waste Battery Fires,” took place in the House of Commons, hosted in partnership with Electrical Safety First (ESF) and the North London Waste Authority (NLWA). It brought together technical specialists, policymakers, and environmental leaders to explore practical solutions to a problem affecting industrial centres across the UK.

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from smartphones to e-bikes, but when they are improperly disposed of, they can ignite fires in waste facilities. These fires are dangerous, costly, and environmentally damaging. Material Focus reported 1,200 waste battery fires in 2023, a 71% increase on the previous year, and nearly half of all waste fires are now linked to these batteries. In north London alone, incidents rose by 53% in the past year, with NLWA recording 22 fires in 2024.

Across 2023 and 2024, Hitchin industrial centre saw 6 fires. Smoke spread into residential streets and even a nearby school. Since, Strathern has formed a local taskforce with the businesses involved and the local authorities. Site safety improvements and working changes agreed by the taskforce has reduced fire risk.

Alistair Strathern MP said:

"After repeated fires in Hitchin, it’s clear this is not a distant problem: it’s here on our doorstep. These fires damage infrastructure, and release toxic pollutants.

“We need action to ensure lithium batteries are recycled safely, always.

“This is about protecting communities and the environment while supporting innovation in green transport and technology.

“This conversation was the start of a wider push for practical, evidence-based solutions.”