Waste crime 'gobsmacking' says Lords committee chair

The "brazenness" of illegal waste dumping by criminals across the country has been described as "gobsmacking" by the chair of the House of Lords Committee on Environment and Climate Change.

Baroness Shas Sheehan said during a visit to Hoads Wood near Ashford, a site where 30,000 tonnes of waste was tipped in 2023, it was "absolutely shocking" that criminals come in with "heavy lorries, prepare the ground and pile the rubbish in".

"People are reporting it, and yet, the authorities do nothing," she added.

The Environment Agency (EA) said it worked with police and local authorities to close such sites down and bring the criminals to justice.

The waste is currently being removed from Hoads Wood in a £15m clean-up operation, which began in July last year after a long campaign by local residents and conservationists.

The EA said completion by contractors was due by September.

Last year Baroness Sheehan led a Lord's inquiry into large scale organised waste dumping, which called for an urgent independent root-and-branch review of the government's response to waste crime.

Experts say the incentive for the criminals is there that is a lot of money to be made by avoiding paying landfill taxes.

Dr Tom Roberts from the University of Surrey said: "Over the last 20 years we've seen a lot of new legislation which has tried to manage the waste better, in particular landfill taxes.

"But essentially what they've done is create a black market in the waste industry."

The EA announced a major crack down on waste crime on 20 February with an enhanced 33-strong drone squad to track down illegal dumps from the air.

There is also a new screening tool to check lorry licences and more specialists to work with the police in catching the criminals.

But Baroness Sheehan said she was not convinced the measures indicated new determination by the government to take waste crime more seriously.

She claimed the problem was not that "they don't know where the sites are, but that calls from the public are ignored".

Meanwhile, conservationists are calling for assurances from the EAy that Hoads Wood will be restored as much as possible to its former glory.

But Ian Rickards from Kent Wildlife Trust said it would not be easy.

"If we come back in 100 years' time, it'll be very obvious where this has happened," he said.

Three people were arrested in connection with the Hoads Wood site in February 2025, however no-one has yet been prosecuted.

An EA spokesman said: "Criminal investigations to put the shameless people who dumped waste at Hoads Wood and other sites in Kent before a court continues."

They added that other suspected illegal waste sites in Kent had also been shut down.

"We share the public's anger on waste crime," they said.

"Our countryside and coastal areas spoiled by people who don't care about the environment. It's just about making money.

"We will seek to claim any money back from the offenders."