For the first time, a national
watchlist of waste sites in England has been
published, as part of the Environment Agency's enhanced
response to tackle the issue.
The watchlist published today (Friday 22 May
2026) contributes to the Environment
Agency's enhanced intelligence gathering of the
117 sites to enable residents to see where we are
acting.
It forms a central part of the Environment
Agency's 10 Point
Plan to tackle waste crime, a comprehensive strategy
that places transparency and community engagement at its core,
while enlisting the public's help in identifying and
reporting criminal activity. This builds on action
being taken including to address illegal activity
before it becomes more firmly established – such as
when a permit was revoked and
two waste sites shut down in West
Lancashire.
Waste crime
is an ever-evolving picture. The Environment Agency will
keep the list under review every month as
part of its ongoing action
to track waste sites. The public
are encouraged to step forward if they have any concerns
about those sites listed.
Philip Duffy, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency,
said:
Waste crime is a serious blight on our communities and our
environment, and it is overwhelmingly driven
by individuals who have no regard for the damage they
cause.
Publishing this watchlist is a deliberate act of
transparency - communities need to know that we are
acting, and we want those committing these crimes to
know that we are coming for them.
We are using every tool at our disposal to find those
responsible and encourage anyone with information to
come forward.
For sites presenting lower levels of risk, the Environment Agency
is working to bring them into compliance through regulatory
action and engagement. Sites that present serious risks will
receive intensive attention, which can include
intelligence-gathering and full criminal investigations.
As the Environment Agency cannot prejudice ongoing enquiries
and any associated enforcement action, the level of
detail published in the watchlist is
restricted.
Investigations do deliver results as seen this week with
the Environment Agency arresting a man for
illegal waste dumping at several sites, including at Bolton
House Road in Wigan, with the support of West Midlands Police.
Teams are also continuing the clean-up operations for the illegal
waste sites in Kidlington and Hoads Wood.
Whether any activity is illegal is ultimately a matter
for the Courts to decide; however, it is
important that communities have access to
information about sites in their area that may be of
concern. The Environment Agency will share more
details on individual sites as it becomes available – with a view
to releasing any site-specific information, which
is appropriate to share publicly, by summer 2026.
Accurate local information to effectively tackle waste crime is
critical in protecting people and the environment from any
potential risks.
The Environment Agency is therefore urging people
across England to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious
activity involving waste – including about any of
the sites included in the watchlist, or suspect illegal
waste activity anywhere – to its incident
hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or to
Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555
111 or through their
website.
Tips and intelligence from communities play a direct role
in identifying illegal operators and protecting the
environment. The smallest piece of information can help build a
clearer picture and make a real difference to our
investigations.
In March, the government published its Waste Crime Action
Plan, setting out a zero-tolerance approach with sweeping
measures to take the fight to waste criminals. This
includes issuing penalty points for drivers found to have
illegally dumped waste, and giving the Environment Agency
police-style powers to clamp down on offenders faster.
More information and an FAQs can be found in our ‘Creating a
Better Place' blog.
