An “obscene” mountain of rubbish that has been dumped illegally next to a river in Oxfordshire has been described as “utterly appalling” by Sir Keir Starmer.
The fly tip in a field alongside the A34 and close to the River Cherwell in Kidlington has reached 150 metres long, 10 metres wide and 12 metres high, according to local MP Calum Miller.
The Environment Agency (EA) said it acted “quickly and decisively” to address a huge illegal fly tip that threatens to pollute the River Cherwell.
The prime minister said the EA would use all its available powers to make sure the perpetrators cover the cost of the clean-up.
The regulator, which is responsible for waste, said it was “laser-focused” on pursuing a criminal investigation and working with other organisations to assess risks and protect the natural environment from pollution.
Anna Burns, the agency’s director for the Thames area, said it will pursue the perpetrators to pay for the “blight on the landscape” they had caused.
The comments come as the EA convened a meeting with organisations from across Oxfordshire, including the county council, Thames Valley Police and National Highways, to provide an update on efforts to protect the local environment and address safety concerns from the local community.
The waste appears to be shredded domestic and commercial waste, including plastic and paper, and is not hazardous – although household rubbish can include items such as batteries, Ms Burns said.
The Environment Agency first visited the site at the beginning of July, after it was reported to the organisation, finding significant amounts of waste and issuing a cease and desist letter to stop further tipping.
When officers became aware of more dumping in October, the agency applied for and secured a court order to close down the site, and is now taking action to prevent pollution from the waste pile and investigate the illegal activity.
Monitoring of water run-off from the site and at specific locations on the River Cherwell is taking place, while work is also being done to mitigate safety risks around fire and flooding, the EA said.
Ms Burns said: “Most of the tipping happened before we were aware of it. As soon as we were aware we acted quickly and decisively.”
She said action was focusing on two areas: “We are pursuing this as a criminal investigation and currently following a number of leads, and we are laser-focused on pursuing that investigation.
“And we are working with partners to understand the risks associated with the site.”
There are concerns that waste could leak into the nearby River Cherwell, particularly in the wake of heavy rain brought by Storm Claudia at the weekend, so agency staff have put a boom in place to try to prevent that from happening.
Mr Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, has called for the government to issue a directive similar to that for Hoades Wood near Ashford, Kent, in 2024, which told the Environment Agency to clear up the site.
He has warned that the estimated clean-up cost would exceed the entire yearly budget for Cherwell District Council.
The issue was also raised at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, where Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked the prime minister if he would instruct the Environment Agency to clean up the tip which had caused a “shocking environmental emergency”.
Sir Keir said: “We have boosted the Environment Agency’s budget for tackling waste crime by 50 per cent, given councils new powers to seize and crush fly tippers’ vehicles, and lawbreakers can now face up to five years in jail.”
Ms Burns said: “I completely understand why communities want this waste gone; it’s a blight on the landscape.”
She said the agency did not have a duty to clear waste, but did have the powers to compel action.
“Our priority is to manage risk and then pursue those responsible to make them pay,” she said.
She added that only 20 per cent of waste crime gets reported and urged the public to report anything suspicious to help officials tackle the problem.
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