Wigan Watchlist site 115

A major incident was declared in July 2025 in response to a large fire on the site in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The Environment Agency found that in the region of 23,000 tonnes of mixed shredded waste had been stored on land without an environmental permit.

A large quantity of waste has been deposited without any protection to the environment; this has caused a number of issues. These include odour detected on and off the site, vermin observed on site; a large pile of waste visible off site and the risk that run-off during wet weather could pollute nearby waters.

A multi-partner response led by the Environment Agency and including the local authority, police, Fire and Rescue Service and other partners have been working to resolve issues at the site. 

The Fire and Rescue Service has a plan in place to reduce any future risk of fire, carrying out regular monitoring and equipping the site with firefighting equipment. Multiple visits to the site have taken place and notices issued to prevent further waste being deposited at the site. The site has been secured, with 24-hour security and CCTV cameras installed.

A criminal investigation is underway, and five arrests have been made.

The local authority is arranging the site to be safely cleared. A tendering process is in place to employ a contractor to remove the waste. We will continue to monitor the site and assess any environmental risks.

We have received a significant number of enquiries from the local community, wider public, local and national media and government stakeholders, which we have responded to. The site continues to attract both media interest, which our media teams handle, and we are in regular contact with the area’s local MP.