Burnham announces plans to clean up worst three illegal waste dumps
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
More menu
More menu
Search BBC
Home
News
…
Three of the country’s worst illegal dumps due to be cleaned up
Image source: Reuters
By Jennifer McKiernan, Political reporter, and Jenny Kumar, Rural Affairs Correspondent
Published 11 minutes ago
Three sites in Kent, Surrey, and West Yorkshire will be targeted for cleanup, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling them "toxic dumps that have blighted communities for too long."
Key Measures:
- Increased fines for waste offenses from £300 to £5,000.
- Environment Agency given more power to seize assets bought with crime proceeds.
- Utilization of drones to map illegal waste sites.
The government estimates these three sites contain approximately 22,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste:
- Power Station Road, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
- Aymer Close, Runnymede, Surrey
- Midland Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester will pilot new region-led approaches to waste crime, empowering mayors and council leaders.
Burnham stated: "The days of making easy money out of waste are over. We’re giving authorities the power to hunt down these individuals."
Angela Eagle, Environment Secretary, added: "We are cleaning up sites but also stopping the cycle… stronger coordination across the system."
Opposition Reactions:
- Green Party: Agrees a crackdown is needed but highlights smaller-scale dumping as a bigger issue, calling for increased circular economy support.
- Liberal Democrats: Welcomes tougher fines but calls for an independent review of the waste system and empowers the National Crime Agency to address illegal sites.
- Conservatives and Reform UK: Yet to comment.
