Gloucester - Watchlist site 122
The site
The Environment Agency attended the site in Gloucester with the local authority and the police following reports received of unlawful waste activity. Approximately 300 tonnes of household and commercial bulky unprocessed waste had been deposited on the site without permission.
The problem
The site, numbered 122 on the Environment Agency’s watchlist, is located close to residential properties and presents a number of risks, including a risk of fire and the potential impact on the River Twyver. The site sits within a medium-high groundwater vulnerability zone and in a floodplain.
The local authority has received reports of antisocial behaviour in connection with the site. Asbestos has also been found at the site. People are advised not to attempt to visit the site as they may be putting their personal safety at risk.
The action we have taken
Since February 2026 Environment Agency officers from the West Midlands Illegal Waste team have been working alongside the local authority and the police to investigate the unlawful waste deposits at the site.
The local authority served an Abatement Notice, which required the waste to be removed, burning to cease, and measures to be put in place to prevent further activity which causes a statutory nuisance.
In July 2026 the local authority started to clear the waste, after the Abatement Notice was not complied with.
Approximately 75 tonnes of waste were removed from the site before the operation had to be suspended when asbestos-containing materials were identified. The Environment Agency arranged for contractors to install 84 concrete blocks at the site entrance to prevent further access and waste deposits.
The local authority is arranging for specialist asbestos removal contractors to assess the extent of the contamination and determine the safest and most appropriate way forward.
Our application for a restriction order was granted in August 2026. The order lasts for 6 months. It is a criminal offence for anyone to enter the site and deposit waste there, in contravention of the order.