The clearance of one of England's largest illegal waste dumps, at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, has been completed at a cost of £6m to the public purse, the BBC reported. The government has pledged to recover that sum — and clearance costs at seven other sites — from those responsible.
England's Kidlington illegal dump cleared at £6m cost to taxpayers as criminals repay fraction of waste crime losses
The clearance of one of England's largest illegal waste dumps, at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, has been completed at a cost of £6m to the public purse, the BBC reported. The government has pledged to recover that sum — and clearance costs at seven other sites — from those responsible.
Around 22,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial rubbish was deposited at the Kidlington site, situated between the River Cherwell and the A34, in 2025. The site is one of nearly 30 so-called 'supersites' first identified in a BBC investigation.
Figures obtained by the BBC through an Environmental Information Regulations request to the Environment Agency show that 66 confiscation orders were issued between January 2021 and March 2026, totalling £7.3m. Fourteen of those orders have not been fully paid, leaving approximately £1.4m still outstanding. The figures cover larger illegal sites for which the Environment Agency is responsible and do not include confiscation orders for smaller fly-tipping offences, which fall under local authority jurisdiction.
The Environment Agency states that waste crime costs the economy £1bn a year. The government estimates that 20% of waste in England is illegally managed.
Under the Waste Crime Action Plan launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration, the Environment Agency is authorised to step in 'on an exceptional basis to clear sites where that waste presents an untenable risk to the public and the environment.' Private landowners whose land is used for illegal dumping are normally expected to fund clean-up themselves.
Last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a nationwide crackdown on waste crime and plans to clear three more of the largest illegal tips in England. Six supersites in total have been earmarked for clearance using public money, subject to prior assessment: Power Station Road on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent; Aymer Close in Runnymede, Surrey; Midland Road in Bradford, West Yorkshire; Alan Ramsbottom Way in Hyndburn, Lancashire; Worthing Road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire; and Bolton House Road in Bickershaw, Greater Manchester.
Four men have been arrested in connection with the Kidlington site and have since been released while the investigation continues. It is not known if or when the many remaining illegal supersites will be cleared, or who will be required to pay.
- The source does not state the total public expenditure on clearing all eight sites, only the £6m figure for Kidlington.
- The source does not state how much money has been recovered specifically in connection with the Kidlington site.
- The source does not identify the four men arrested in connection with the Kidlington tip.
- The source does not state the total number of illegal supersites currently identified or a timeline for addressing those not yet earmarked for clearance.
- The source does not state whether any of the 66 confiscation orders relate directly to the Kidlington site or the other seven sites where costs are being sought.
- The source does not state the individual clearance costs projected for the six supersites newly earmarked for public-funded clean-up.