Acumen Waste Service Limited have started preparatory works to clear an illegal waste site in Bickershaw, Wigan.
The 25-tonne illegal waste dump on Bolton House Road is spread across land owned by Wigan Council and the Duchy of Lancaster, the King’s private estate.
Last month, Wigan Council announced that it had chosen Acumen, which completed the £6m clean-up of a similar dump in Oxfordshire, as its preferred contractor.
Acumen is now clearing vegetation around the land ahead of waste removal beginning over the coming weeks.
Councillor Nazia Rehman, Leader of Wigan Council, said the announcement was a clear sign of progress and a ‘significant moment’ for the community impacted by the illegal waste site.
Commenting, Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “We are taking decisive action in Wigan Borough to clean up this horrendous site and hunt down the criminals who left local residents to deal with the consequences.”
“After years of waste crime being allowed to fester, our specially trained officers are targeting the organised gangs that fuel it, making over 30 arrests since April, and delivering justice for communities across the country.”
The government is funding the cost of the clean-up operation, at the taxpayer’s expense, as part of its commitment to clear the ‘most egregious illegal waste sites’ across the UK.
Philip Duffy, chief executive of the Environment Agency, told a House of Lords committee that the government had committed £65m towards the project.
The government has promised to recoup the clean-up costs from those responsible for dumping the waste by confiscating their money and assets.
However, figures reported by the BBC show that between January 2021 and March 2026 the Environment Agency only recouped £7.3m using Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) confiscation orders.
Under environmental regulations, landowners are typically responsible for clearing waste that has been illegally dumped on their land.
However, the Duchy, which inherited the site on Bolton House Road due to an ancient law, said it is exempt from regulatory obligations as the estate did not inherit any liabilities attached to the property.
Speaking in March when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham condemned the Duchy of Lancaster and said their response to the illegal waste dump in Wigan was ‘not acceptable’.
Josh Simons, who was the area’s local MP before he stood down so Burnham could run to replace him, previously called for the Duchy to pay for its share of the clean-up costs.
The Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) declined to comment when contacted by Circular Online.
This summer, four people were arrested in connection with the large-scale illegal waste dumping in Bickershaw.
Following a major fire, that burned for a week and caused nearby schools to shut, in July 2025 a multi-agency partnership was formed to manage the site, prevent further waste dumping, and minimise risks to residents and the environment.
A recent investigation by Sky News found toxic chemicals were present at the Wigan site that have not been approved for use in the UK for decades as they pose a danger to human and animal life.
