# Cleanup of illegal waste supersites costs UK taxpayers £6m Government aims to recover cleanup costs from environmental criminals. - **Source:** [BBC News](https://brifing.si/source/647b890e-c85e-45b8-9588-ccfecdec4a99) - **Published:** 2026-08-27 - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/2120b6b5-5381-43d8-9b3b-7a1037216346 ## Massive illegal waste sites Over 30 'supersites' identified in England, including Kidlington and Hoads Wood. Cleanup costs for just these two sites were budgeted at £20m. In 2025, 22,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste accumulated at Kidlington. These sites, revealed by a BBC investigation, are located near rivers and major roads. ## Burden on taxpayers Only £7.3m has been recovered from criminals in the past five years. Yet waste crime costs the economy £1bn annually. The £6m cleanup cost for Kidlington fell on taxpayers. Rural landowners argue current deterrents are insufficient. ## Legal actions and criticism Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, 66 confiscation orders were issued between 2021-2026. However, 14 orders remain unpaid. Baroness Sheehan highlighted inconsistent enforcement. The Environment Agency has pursued unpaid orders through courts. ## New measures and operations PM Burnham announced plans to clean three more major dump sites. Drones and field teams will track offenders. Six sites are scheduled for publicly-funded cleanup, though 20 remain unaddressed with no clear timeline. ## Landowners' plight Illegal dumps often appear on private land. The CLA, representing 28,000 landowners, says farmers bear cleanup costs. President Lane demanded seizure of offenders' vehicles. Unpaid fines have a six-month legal collection period. ## Industrial-scale crime 20% of England's waste is managed illegally. Gangs continue operations as fines don't impact profits. Highnam Parish Chair Coats called current penalties 'derisory'. Four suspects remain under investigation for Kidlington. ## New action plan The Waste Crime Action Plan was launched under Starmer's government. The Environment Agency will intervene at high-risk sites. Minister Eagle stated 'criminal gangs have nowhere left to hide'. Power Station Road in Kent is also slated for cleanup. ## System overhaul needed Experts highlight systemic failures in preventing environmental crimes. More effective asset tracking methods are required. Local authorities handle smaller-scale waste offenses. Solutions require coordinated central-local government action. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgyx45zzwgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._