The Environment Agency has secured a court order preventing access to an illegal waste site in an area of outstanding natural beauty in County Durham.
A court order is now in place prohibiting anyone from importing waste onto land in the North Pennines area of outstanding natural beauty. Access to the site is also a criminal offence.
The Restriction Order was granted at County Durham and Darlington Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 15 July and will last six months.
After reports of illegal dumping on the land, the Environment Agency said it secured a Restriction Order when instructions requiring the dumping to stop and waste to be cleared were ignored.
The Environment Agency has also opened criminal proceedings against the operators of the site.
Commenting on the court order, Gary Wallace, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We’ve taken action to shut down this site after reports that illegal waste dumping was continuing.”
“Waste crime scars communities and the environment and in line with our 10 point plan we’re acting quickly to tackle illegal activity. This site is now secure while criminal proceedings are ongoing.”
A Restriction Order is a unique enforcement power available to the Environment Agency that allows them to shut down illegal waste sites within 72 hours.
Earlier this year, Let’s Recycle reported that the Environment Agency only applied for six Restriction Orders between 2018 and 2025, which drew widespread criticism from environmental law experts and the wider sector.
The Agency has significantly expanded its use of Restriction Orders in 2026 as part of its 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime.