Illegal waste site near Kidlington

Our contractors, will be mobilising on site from Monday 2 March. Over the coming days and weeks, you may see lorries entering the site with loads of aggregate. This will be used to build a track raised out of the flooded ground giving vehicles safe access to the site. Once complete, this track will enable us to start clearing the waste even if the ground remains saturated.

We are implementing a temporary traffic management plan to manage the flow of traffic and avoid bottlenecks. There will be reduced speed limits and 2 sets of traffic lights. The lights will only be used during site operational hours and will only be turned to red to stop traffic when there is a lorry movement giving safe access to and from site.

We will also be putting a temporary site compound in place for staff welfare, installing fencing and placing more bulk sandbags to prevent surface water from the drainage ditch entering the site.

Once this has happened waste clearance will commence. We appreciate that clearance is later than originally forecast, however this illegal waste has been dumped on land which has been subject to significant rainfall. We have had 188% of the long term average rainfall for January and 178% of long term average rainfall so far for February.

Recent continuous rainfall has resulted in a significant increase in surface water at the site. This makes it currently unsuitable for heavy vehicles to operate and complete the preparatory work necessary before waste removal can begin.

We are now planning to import aggregate to improve the saturated ground conditions and enable access for vehicles. Following this other site mobilisation activities will take place to ensure necessary welfare and safety for site operatives. This remains a dynamic situation with site mobilisation now expected in early March and waste removal predicted to start in early April.

We appreciate that this timescale is later than originally forecast, however this illegal waste has been dumped in an area of floodplain. We have had 188% of the long term average rainfall for January and 141% of long term average rainfall so far for February.

We aim to carry out weekly water quality monitoring subject to weather conditions and in response to any emerging evidence.

Due to the recent rainfall in January and February, conditions on site have meant that it has not been possible to gain weekly water samples. This is because the locations where we need to take representative water samples are not accessible. We know that when water levels are high, we are not likely to gain meaningful data in relation to Kidlington due the high level of dilution.

We will continue to monitor and we will make sample results available as and when the analysis is complete. 

Our latest results can be found in this section

Estimate of when removal of waste will begin

Our contractor, Acumen, are still aiming for waste removal for the end of February but due to the continued heavy rainfall across the catchment this is now likely to be early March. The prolonged wet weather has significantly affected ground conditions, with saturated soils and standing water reducing the stability needed for vehicle movements and safe loading operations. Access routes that are normally suitable for heavy plant and haulage vehicles have become waterlogged, increasing the risk of equipment becoming bogged down. Scoping work to lay access tracks has begun.

Traffic management

The contractor, working with partners from Oxfordshire County Council, is developing a traffic management plan to minimise disruption to local road users. Further details about this plan will follow.

Vegetation work

Further vegetation will need removing from site. The trees and shrubs to be removed are likely to have been affected by the waste, for example the waste may be stopping water and nutrients from getting to the roots, or they may have absorbed pollutants.

The majority of trees are young and Oxfordshire County Council are checking for any Tree Preservation Orders. We will pollard any willows to give them the opportunity to recover naturally.

Following recent rain, we have seen water levels on and around the waste site rise as expected. We have been on site to check levels and make sure that our Jumbo sandbags and the Heras Fencing is working well and remains effective at preventing waste from entering the River Cherwell.

A flood alert for the River Cherwell has been issued. Levels are sensitive to further rainfall and are expected to remain high over the coming days. We are constantly monitoring and update information about flood conditions daily. Please follow the link flood alert for the River Cherwell for the latest information.

The waste removal contract has been signed and Acumen Waste Services Ltd are now preparing enabling works ahead of the waste removal activities, planned to commence at the end of February.

This includes:

Continued waste sampling in several locations. Pits are being excavated at different depths to get a cross section of the waste materials. We will use this sampling to ensure it can be removed safely and sent to the appropriate legal waste disposal facilitates.

Providing safe and secure access. Scoping work has begun to lay tracks for heavy vehicle access. Necessary site tree clearance works are being planned, and they will commence at the end of January.

Site compound and welfare facilities set up. Acumen are preparing for setting up the site compound and welfare facilities for site-based staff. These works will commence early February and will last approximately 2 weeks.