Illegal Waste Sites

Eastchurch Gap, Surf Crescent, Eastchurch, Kent ME12 4JU

Around 36,000 tonnes of soil and construction waste have been dumped here. The site has a history of hostility towards visitors, so our inspections are carried out with support from partner agencies. A Restriction Order to stop further importation of waste in in place until May 2026

Although the site is close to the Thames Estuary and the cliffs form part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, there have been limited environmental impacts so far and no effects on farmland, transport routes or local infrastructure. This area is subject to coastal erosion.

Illegal waste activity at this location has happened on and off since 2020. While the largescale dumping has stopped, small illegal deposits in and around this site have occurred. We have written to the landowner to instruct them to stop bringing in waste.

The Environment Agency will continue to work with Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council and Kent Police regarding activity at this site. This includes continued drone surveys, road stop operations and coordinated enforcement activity.

If you wish to report any environmental incident at this site please call our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or you can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

The Furrows, Factory Farm, Wouldham Road, Rochester, Kent ME1 3TL

The Environment Agency is aware of a large amount of illegally dumped waste at a site next to the River Medway estuary. Around 30,000 tonnes of mixed building waste and soil were brought onto the land between 2018 and 2022 without any permission. No new waste has been brought in since but no waste has been removed.

There is a small risk that over time, some material could slip towards the estuary. So far, there has been little impact on the local environment and the site is not in a protected wildlife area. A few homes are near the entrance, but there are currently no known impacts on nearby roads, farmland, or local services.

Medway Council is also taking enforcement action through a planning enforcement notice which covers the whole site, including the illegal waste area and several nearby industrial units. The Planning Inspectorate dismissed an appeal of this notice in 2025.

The Environment Agency regularly meets with the local MP, Medway Council, and Kent Police and will continue working with partners and the landowners to make sure the waste is safely dealt with.

The Environment Agency will continue to monitor the site to make sure no new waste is brought in and to check the condition of the existing waste. We are working with the new landowners to discuss their plans for the site and the safe removal of the waste.

If you wish to report any environmental incident at this site please call our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or you can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Hoads Wood, Fridd Lane, Bethersden, Kent TN23 3BZ

We are dealing with a major illegal waste site where around 30,000 tonnes of shredded industrial and hazardous waste were dumped without permission on a SSSI. The site is no longer receiving waste, but due to past hostility from one of the landowners, it is classed as a high risk site and is secured with 24hour monitoring while the waste removal project continues.

We first received reports of illegal activity in August 2023, following earlier reports made to Kent Police and Ashford Borough Council. Soon after, we took part in a joint day of action with Kent Police, Natural England, HMRC and DVSA, during which two vehicles were caught tipping waste. Earlier incidents of sporadic tipping between 2019 and 2020 had been dealt with previously by local planning enforcement.

We have carried out gas monitoring and water quality testing around the site. While the River Beult has not shown signs of pollution, some small woodland streams have been affected by leachate. There are no impacts on local farmland or infrastructure, although Bethersden Road will remain closed for 2026 to allow the waste removal project to take place safely.

Several investigations are ongoing into those involved in dumping the waste. A Restriction Order limiting access to the site was first issued by the Environment Agency in January 2024 and has been regularly extended to support our work and protect the SSSI. We are working closely with Kent Police, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council.

The Environment Agency is removing the waste from this site under a Ministerial Direction issued by the Secretary of State for the environment in May 2024. This is being managed by Acumen Waste Services. So far, around 24,000 tonnes of the deposited waste have been cleared and work is expected to continue into late 2026. Once complete, the site will be handed back to the landowners. We are working with Natural England, who oversee SSSIs, and the Forestry Commission about management of the site once the waste is cleared.

We continue to keep the community informed through regular public meetings and emails. We also provide regular updates to the Secretary of State as part of the ministerial direction.

We will continue to carry out environmental monitoring during 2026 including checks on local watercourses, and we will progress several live investigations into those linked with the illegal waste activity. Alongside this, we will keep working closely with Kent Police, Natural England, Ashford Borough Council, Kent County Council and the Forestry Commission.

If you wish to report any environmental incident at this site please call our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or you can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Raspberry Hill Park, Raspberry Hill Lane, Iwade, Kent ME9 8SL

We are working with the Joint Unit for Waste Crime to investigate illegal waste activity at this site. Around 36,000 tonnes of soil and construction waste have been dumped here without permission. The site continues to receive occasional waste deliveries and small waste fires still occur. Because of past behaviour from individuals linked to the site, it is considered hostile, and our visits are carried out with support from partner agencies where needed.

Although the site is close to the Swale Estuary SSSI, there have been no immediate environmental impacts identified so far, and there is no effect on farmland, infrastructure or transport routes. We have received reports from local residents about waste being brought in and burning on the site, and we continue to respond to these incidents.

Illegal activity at this location has been happening on and off since 2020. While large‑scale dumping has stopped, some waste is still occasionally being brought onto the land. We have written to the landowner and operator instructing them to stop. The operator has links to other illegal waste sites and has previous convictions for waste crime.

We are working closely with Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council, Kent Police and HMRC as part of an ongoing criminal investigation led by the Joint Unit for Waste Crime. This includes joint road‑stop operations, drone surveys and regular multi‑agency meetings to tackle wider waste crime activity linked to the site. HMRC is also progressing a referral into potential landfill tax avoidance.

The site has attracted widespread local and national media attention, including recent coverage on Channel 4. We do not currently run formal community engagement events at this location, but we continue to act on incident reports and share information with our partners as investigations progress.

We will continue to work with the Joint Unit for Waste Crime as they lead the criminal investigation into recent illegal activity at the site. Further inspections will take place, supported by partner agencies where needed.

Over the coming months, we will keep monitoring the site for any new waste deliveries or waste fires and will respond to reports from the public. We will also continue gathering evidence on the operator and others involved.

Our joint work with Swale Borough Council, Kent County Council, Kent Police and HMRC will continue, including drone surveys, road‑stop operations and regular information‑sharing meetings. HMRC will progress its investigation into potential landfill tax avoidance.

As this is an active criminal investigation, there is no set timescale. Monitoring and enforcement work will continue until the illegal activity stops and appropriate regulatory or legal outcomes are reached.

Basser Hill Farm, Basser Hill, Iwade, Kent ME9 8GY

Basser Hill is an illegal waste site that the Environment Agency was first made aware of in March 2025. The site is not actively receiving more waste active, but some waste is being treated there without any permits.

In November 2025, the Environment Agency visited the site, met the landowner, and instructed them to stop bringing in waste and to remove what has already been deposited. We have since explained the required actions to the operator and will continue to follow up to check that progress is being made. We have agreed an action plan with a timeline for the waste to be removed.

If the waste is not cleared in a timely manner we will take enforcement action to require the landowner to remove it. We have not seen signs of new waste arriving since our visit, although some small scale burning and waste treatment are still happening. The operator has said they want to make the activity legal in the future and reuse some of the soil on site, which will be considered as part of ongoing regulatory work. We are working with Kent County Council, Swale Borough Council, and Kent Police.

We are working with Kent County Council, Swale Borough Council, and Kent Police.

The Environment Agency will continue to monitor the site and take action to make sure the illegal waste activity stops.

If you wish to report any environmental incident at this site please call our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or you can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111