Across England, a wave of illegal waste dumping is leaving communities reeling, countryside scarred, and public agencies scrambling for solutions. Recent investigations and mounting public pressure have brought the issue to the forefront, with sites in Kent, Oxfordshire, and Worcestershire drawing national attention for the scale of environmental damage and the profound impact on local residents.
In Kent, the Environment Agency (EA) has launched an investigation into the illegal waste site at Basser Hill near Sittingbourne, just two miles from the notorious Raspberry Hill Park Farm tip. According to BBC South East, waste dumping at Raspberry Hill Park Farm has persisted for more than a year since the BBC’s initial exposé, despite repeated interventions by the EA. The agency confirmed that on November 24, 2025, its officers visited Basser Hill, met with the landowner, and “instructed them to stop accepting waste and to clear the illegally deposited waste on site.” Yet, when BBC reporters visited the site last week, dumping appeared to be ongoing.
This pattern is not isolated to Kent. The House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change committee, following its September 2025 report, criticized the EA for failing to shut down illegal waste sites quickly enough. The Lords’ inquiry was prompted by revelations of serious and organized waste crime, including six large-scale illegal sites across the country. The committee’s chair, Baroness Sheehan, voiced alarm that the EA had not disclosed several major sites, including a massive dump in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and others in Wigan and Worcestershire, which surfaced only through media reporting. The EA, for its part, called these claims “inaccurate” and insisted it had “responded comprehensively” to all questions posed by the committee.
Back in Kent, the Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Kevin McKenna, lamented the proliferation of these sites: “This is happening all over. The Government has given more money to the EA specifically to tackle this, but we clearly need to do more. It really is a disgrace on the nation.” At Brambletree Wharf near Borstal, another large illegal site, the landowner has failed to comply with a planning inspector’s order to remove the waste. The land has reportedly been sold, though no record appears in the Government’s Land Registry. The EA continues to work with Medway Council, prioritizing talks with the new landowner to secure waste removal.
The scale of the challenge is daunting. The EA reported that last year it stopped 743 illegal waste sites, secured 13 prosecutions, imposed £133,000 in fines, and achieved six custodial sentences. However, the persistence of dumping at sites like Raspberry Hill Park Farm and Brambletree Wharf suggests enforcement alone may not be enough.
Worcestershire, too, is grappling with the consequences of illegal dumping. In Evesham, Wychavon District Council (WDC) identified “potential issues” at a site on Haselor Lane in October 2025, describing the scene as an “environmental horror.” The EA confirmed illegal dumping at Stone Arrow Farm in Peopleton, where residents have endured noise, dust, and a sense of entrapment for 18 months. One resident told the BBC, “There is a level of anger, and you can feel that on a daily basis… you get to a point where we don’t actually like living where we live.”
Property values have plummeted, with estate agents advising locals not to attempt selling their homes. “The effect of this is lowering the value of their properties or making them impossible to sell, so it’s an untenable position for them,” said Councillor Linda Robinson, who represents Peopleton and the surrounding area. She described the village as “very sleepy, rural” and “close-knit,” now pushed to the brink by the ongoing disturbance.
The MP for Droitwich and Evesham, Nigel Huddlestone, has taken up the cause, engaging with district and county councils, the EA, West Mercia Police, HMRC, the Health and Safety Executive, and the DVSA. “I remain absolutely committed to working with all stakeholders and to do whatever I can to help bring this situation to an end, for the benefit of my constituents,” Huddlestone stated, emphasizing the need for coordinated action.
WDC and the EA are working together, following legal processes and promising further enforcement if necessary. An EA spokesperson told the BBC, “Waste scars our communities. [It] is something we’re committed to tackling together with local councils and the police. Together we’re pulling every lever available to us to disrupt those who profit from the harm illegal waste sites cause.”
Meanwhile, in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, the EA has taken the extraordinary step of beginning clearance planning for a massive illegal waste dump first discovered in July 2025. The decision, announced on December 11, 2025, follows new advice from Fire and Rescue Services about the risk of a catastrophic fire—a fire that could close the A34 highway, degrade air quality, and disrupt electrical supplies. The EA explained that while it is not legally responsible or funded to clear such sites, the “overriding public imperative” and scale of the risk justified exceptional action.
EA Chief Executive Philip Duffy minced no words: “The brazen criminality at Kidlington has appalled all of us at the Environment Agency. Our local teams have been at this site working with partners to reduce harm and minimise risks while we pursue those responsible. This week, new information on the risk of fire was received from the Fire and Rescue Services and the Police and a decision made to clear the site as soon as possible on a wholly exceptional basis.” Duffy pledged that the agency “will update the public on progress” and that “waste criminals will see justice for this serious offending.”
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds echoed these concerns, calling the site “a blight on the community” and pledging to work with the EA to “make sure that those responsible pay for their crimes.” The cost of the cleanup, estimated at £25 million by local MP Calum Miler, will be funded by efficiencies within the EA’s operations, with assurances that no other services will be scaled back. A 39-year-old man from Guildford was arrested on November 25, 2025, in connection with the dumping but was released pending further enquiries.
Liberal Democrat Party Leader Sir Ed Davey has called for stronger government action, while local campaigners and MPs have pushed for national recognition of the crisis. Miler, reflecting local sentiment, said, “It’s right and proper that National Government recognises that this environmental disaster had to be stopped and that the risk of fire closing the A34 was also a major factor.”
As the EA, local councils, and Parliament wrestle with the growing crisis, one thing is clear: illegal waste dumping is no longer a hidden crime. It is a national emergency affecting the health, safety, and quality of life for communities across England. The coming months will test whether recent pledges and exceptional actions can finally turn the tide.
