Ban on 'reckless' waste disposal at 200-tonne dump

A six-month ban has been placed on an illegal dump which "caused misery" for the surrounding community.

More than 200 tonnes of waste had been illegally dumped at Severnside Farm in Gloucester, near St Oswald's retail park, with Gloucester City Council first made aware of the site in early 2026.

The Environment Agency (EA) issued the order on 12 August, meaning it is now a criminal offence for anyone to enter the site and dump waste at any time over the next six months.

"The criminals involved in dumping this waste have caused misery for the community and the environment," said Nick Green, area environment manager at for the EA.

"We are doing everything we can to stop the reckless, illegal handling and disposal of waste," added Green, explaining that criminal investigations were underway.

He also urged local communities to work with them as "partners... acting as our eyes and ears" so enforcement action could be taken as soon as possible.

The court order follows a joint operation by the EA, Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire Police in July, where disruption activity at the site - including the installation of 84 concrete blocks to prevent further waste being illegally deposited - was carried out.

Insp James O'Neill from the Gloucester neighbourhood policing team said "robust action" would be taken against anyone engaging in illegal fly-tipping.

"It blights our communities, presents health risks for residents, and creates significant cleaning costs for public services," he added.

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