Major clean-up finally begins at Kidlington waste site
CLA welcomes action but warns more needs to be done to stop further incidents
The CLA has welcomed news that the 21,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste at Kidlington is finally being cleared.
A major clean-up operation is underway in Oxfordshire, where trucks have begun removing mountains of waste, the Environment Agency has confirmed.
The operation – led by the EA and carried out by Acumen Waste Services Ltd - will see an estimated 21,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste, including tyres, shredded plastic, and household rubbish, dug up and removed from the notorious illegal waste site.
Specialist teams will shift around 15 to 30 lorry loads a day to clear the site and tackle the damage caused by organised criminal gangs, in an operation expected to last around six months.
Criminals dumped the waste across 8,000 square metres of land near the A34 in Kidlington – an area larger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium. Environment Agency officers finally shut down the site in October 2025.
'Significant damage'
CLA South East Director Tim Bamford said: “It is welcome news that waste is finally being cleared from this site, but not before significant damage has been done.
“Farmers and landowners are sick of the impact fly-tipping and organised waste crime has, both environmentally and financially.
“As we have exposed, anyone can obtain a waste carrier license. More needs to be done to crack down on offenders and gangs who see the countryside as a soft touch.”