Clean-Up Begins at Giant Illegal Waste Site

Illegal waste dumped in Kidlington, Oxford (C. BBC)

The Environment Agency is leading a clean-up operation at a massive illegal waste site in Oxfordshire. The operation will remove an estimated 21,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste from the site, dumped there by criminal gangs. The six-month clean-up will remove waste spread across an area larger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium, with up to 30 lorry loads taken away each day. 

The clean-up forms part of a wider Government crackdown on waste crime, aimed at; tackling criminals, cleaning up streets, and restoring pride in communities. In March, Defra published a new Waste Crime Action Plan setting out the action the Government is taking to prevent waste crime, pursue the criminals, and accelerate the clean-up effort. This includes £45 million over three years to boost Environment Agency enforcement activity and direct funding to clean‑up of some of the worst illegal waste sites.

Click here to read more about what Minister Mary Creagh is doing to tackle waste crime, in Coventry and nationally: https://www.marycreagh.co.uk/news/mary-creagh-cleans-up-waste-crime