Malcolm Prior

The clean-up of an illegal waste supersite near Kidlington in Oxfordshire has cost taxpayers £6m after about 22,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial rubbish were dumped there. The government intends to recover the money from those responsible and has announced a wider crackdown, including publicly funded clearances at other major sites. However, Environment Agency figures show that only £7.3m has been recovered through 66 confiscation orders since January 2021, with about £1.4m still outstanding, despite waste crime costing the economy an estimated £1bn annually. Campaigners, rural landowners and environmental lawmakers say the sums recovered are too small to deter criminal operators, while the agency says some payments remain within legal settlement periods and further assets may still be seized.

The clean-up of the illegal Kidlington waste site in Oxfordshire has been completed at a cost of £6m to taxpayers, below the original £7.3m contract. About 22,000 tonnes of domestic and commercial waste had been dumped there. The government says it will recover costs from those responsible and has announced a wider crackdown, including plans to clear additional supersites. However, Environment Agency figures show that only £7.3m has been recovered through 66 confiscation orders over the past five years, with £1.4m still outstanding, while waste crime is estimated to cost the economy £1bn annually. Campaigners and rural landowners say the sums recovered are too small to deter criminal operators, and many illegal sites remain without a clear timetable for clearance.