During the weekend of 20 March, we received over 400 complaints regarding odour from the Granville landfill site.

Our officers attended the site on Monday morning (23 March), where they detected a slight offsite odour adjacent to the site boundary and the same odour onsite. We have instructed the operator to investigate the source of the odour, and we will continue to carry out site visits and odour monitoring to ensure they remain compliant with their permit.

A high number of odour events were also witnessed across the country over the same period due to specific climatic conditions where temperature, air pressure and wind conditions unfortunately exacerbated odours from landfills.

In our update on 6 March, we explained that the site had temporarily stopped accepting waste due to a mechanical breakdown. The site has not accepted waste since that date. We have now been informed that waste operations will resume week commencing 30 March.

On Thursday 19 March, our officers also visited the site and detected an odour to the west of the site. We continue to require the operator to take all appropriate measures to manage odour which include managing the landfill gas by extraction, controlling the leachate (liquid that is made by decomposing wastes) volumes and ensuring waste materials are covered. We have requested a review of their landfill gas management plan and expect to receive it by Monday 30 March. 

We will maintain frequent site inspections and odour monitoring to ensure ongoing permit compliance. We are also in regular contact with Telford and Wrekin Council, who are completing independent odour assessments that support our investigations.

On Thursday 19 March the Environment Agency led an operation at Throckmorton Industrial Park, Worcestershire working alongside officers from West Mercia Police’s Evesham Rural Safer Neighbourhood team and the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The activity forms part of a wider national initiative to tackle environmental crime and disrupt illegal waste operations.

During the enforcement action, the Environment Agency seized an HGV and a JCB bucket loader suspected of being used in unlawful waste activity.

An officer from the Environment Agency emphasised the importance of joint working, and that by “Working with local councils and the police force in Worcestershire, we will stay one step ahead of waste criminals and protect the communities, businesses and environment that they blight.”

Dave Wise, Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for West Mercia Police, said: This operation shows what can be achieved through a coordinated partnership approach. “The Environment Agency has significant powers to disrupt illegal waste activity, including, in the appropriate circumstances, the seizure of vehicles and machinery suspected to be used in offending. “Our role is to support and enable that action where it will have the greatest impact. “By combining intelligence, enforcement and a visible policing presence, we are not just responding to offending but making it harder for those involved to operate.”

Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is asked to report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline - 0800 80 70 60 - or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

We are aware of an increase in odour complaints over the past few weeks. Our officers have been out on-site undertaking regular odour assessments and site visits during this period.

During our site visit on 24 February 2026, we were made aware of a mechanical breakdown which directly affects the operator's ability to accept waste. The operator has informed us that this equipment has been sent off for repair. They will inform us when the repair is completed and they are able to accept waste again.

We have instructed the operator to investigate the odour sources and review the landfill gas management in specific areas, we have asked them to work with their gas contractor to ensure the appropriate mitigation measures have been implemented. We have required them to provide this information by 13 March 2026.

We will continue to conduct regular odour assessments and site visits to ensure that the permit conditions on the site are met.

If you need to report an odour, please use the following link - Report a smell from a waste facility, industrial site or farm in England - GOV.UK.

Our Waste team recently carried out a focused Hazardous Waste Audit and Waste Carrier’s Audit Day of Action across two permitted sites in Birmingham. We focused on waste carriers transporting waste without the required authorisations or documentation describing the material they were carrying. Both locations are well known for receiving high volumes of scrap metal from individual waste carriers which make them key areas for targeted compliance checks.

At each site, two officers concentrated on identifying potentially hazardous waste that has been incorrectly identified. Everyone has a duty of care to describe and transfer waste legally, so we verify compliance by assessing waste and consignment paperwork. This included inspecting waste on site, analysing the returns and Hazardous Waste Intelligence Data and reviewing waste transfer and consignment notes to verify compliance. Meanwhile, the other two officers directly engaged with the carriers queuing to deposit waste onto site. They asked a set of questions on the waste carriers license and Duty of Care requirements, helping to identify any potential non-compliance before waste entered the site.

We identified that both permitted sites were misdescribing waste on site. It was also found that six operators were transporting waste without a valid licence. Ten additional carriers held valid licences however their responses during questioning indicated areas where further guidance would be beneficial. These carriers will receive follow-up audits to support a better understanding of Duty of Care requirements.

This day of action demonstrates the value of proactive and collaborative enforcement in the improvement of waste management standards. By combining on site inspections and direct engagement with carriers our teams continue to support safer, more compliant waste management practices across the region.

On 8 January 2025, the Environment Agency worked in partnership with West Mercia Police, DVSA, HMRC and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) in a coordinated, multi-agency operation carried out across several sites to target and disrupt criminal activity across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Almost £100,000 in cash was seized alongside counterfeit electrical items across the locations. The police made multiple arrests.

Marc Lidderth, West Midlands Area Director at the Environment Agency, said: “The results of this day of action are a great example of utilising different agencies’ enforcement powers to reach a successful outcome and disrupt criminal activity. Working in partnership enhances our ability to protect communities and the environment.

“These results will aid our joint investigations into illegal waste crime activity at sites in Worcestershire, and any future enforcement action we may take.

“In 2024/5, the Environment Agency successfully stopped activity at 743 illegal waste sites. 84 of these were in the West Midlands region.

“If you have any information regarding illegal waste dumping incidents, we encourage you to report it to the Environment Agency incident hotline to help in our fight against waste criminals.”

Officers at Day of Action - 8 January 2026

Incident Command Unit - Day of action

In our previous news update on 03 October 2025 we explained that the Environment Agency had been informed that the liquidators acting for Staffordshire Waste Recycling Centre Ltd (SWRCL) had disclaimed both of the environmental permits that they held. This means that the permits no longer exist.

We now understand that Hyper Waste Management Ltd are the new occupier of the site.

On 6 October 2025 the Environment Agency issued a Section 59 Notice to the occupier, which requires the company to take steps to reduce the environmental risks posed by the site, and remove all waste to a suitably authorised facility by a specified date. The Environment Agency is continuing to monitor compliance with this Notice.

We are also working with partner agencies, including Stoke on Trent City Council to reduce the risks on site, and ensure there is a legitimate use of the site going forwards.