A mountain of waste approximately 150 metres long, 10 metres wide and up to 12 metres high is an ‘environmental disaster’, local MP says.
The waste, which was also described as an ‘emergency’ by a local nature volunteer, was dumped on a site between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington.
Yesterday (17 November), the local MP, Calum Miller, warned that the situation has become ‘much more urgent’ as heavy rain means the River Cherwell is close to engulfing the mountain of waste.
Speaking at the site, Miller said the Cherwell District Council had estimated the cost of removing the waste would be greater than its annual budget, which was £26.2 million for the 2025/26 financial year.
A criminal investigation into the circumstances around the fly-tipping, which contains plastic, foam and wood, has been launched, and the Environment Agency have served a restriction order to prevent access to the site.
In Parliament, Miller, Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, called on the government to issue a directive to the Environment Agency to clear the waste.
Steve Barclay, a previous Environment Secretary under the Conservative Government, issued a similar directive to clear an illegal waste site in Hoad’s Wood, Kent.
However, Minister for Water and Flooding Emma Hardy did not confirm if the current Environment Secretary would issue a directive to the Environnment Agency.
Inquiry finds ‘inadequacy’ in current approach to waste crime
A recent House of Lords inquiry concluded it was difficult to find that ‘incompetence’ at the Environment Agency has not been a factor in failures to prevent and effectively prosecute waste crime.
The Lords were also critical of the police, saying they were ‘unimpressed’ with the lack of interest they showed in tackling waste crime.
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) said it largely agreed with the findings from the inquiry, which concluded that serious and organised waste crime is currently under-prioritised relative to its significant impact, and that a root-and-branch review is required to tackle waste crime more effectively.
CIWM’s Director of Policy, Communications and External Affairs, Dan Cooke, who gave evidence to the inquiry, said ‘waste crime causes misery and anxiety to communities, landowners and businesses across the UK, and tackling this insidious issue is significantly under-resourced’.