Latest news - Kidlington illegal waste site

The Environment Agency is continuing to take action to protect our environment and the local community from the large-scale dumping of illegal waste near Kidlington. We will share regular updates via social media, our blog and on this Engagement HQ page.

New information and advice from the Fire and Rescue Services has indicated the increased possibility of a fire on site. As such, an exceptional decision has been made to progress works to entirely clear the site of waste. This will not be a quick process as we have to ensure this vast amount of waste is handled correctly, moved to the right facilities and is done so without causing further damage to the environment.

Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/clearance-work-to-begin-at-kidlington-waste-dump

We are actively monitoring the site and sampling water quality. Having sampled both upstream and downstream of the site, we have currently found no indication of pollution entering the River Cherwell because of the waste. The results have been posted to Engagement HQ. We will continue to monitor for signs of pollution from the site and will update the information on this site as and when it becomes available.

Construction of a barrier was completed on 28 November. The barrier is formed of jumbo sandbags between the waste and the river and 150 m of fencing. While the current risk of the waste entering the river is very low, the barrier has been installed as a precaution to protect the environment and prevent unauthorised access to the active crime scene. Prior to this a boom was installed in the ditch as a temporary measure to help prevent waste material flowing downstream

On Tuesday 25 November, an individual was arrested in connection with illegal waste dumping at the Kidlington site. This marks a significant step forward in the investigation, which is being led by our colleagues in the National Environmental Crime Unit. We have issued a press release on the arrest, which can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/individual-arrested-in-connection-with-kidlington-illegal-waste-dumping.