The petition of residents of the constituency of Bicester and Woodstock,
Declares that the discovery of one of the largest illegal waste dumps in the UK on land near Kidlington, located metres from the River Cherwell and on a known floodplain, has caused deep concern; further declares that rising river levels pose an imminent risk of contaminated waste entering the river and surrounding soil, and that there is also a risk of fire at a site adjacent to the A34; further declares that the cost should not be met through council tax.
The petitioners therefore urge the House of Commons to press the Government to direct the Environment Agency to clear the illegal waste at this site urgently and prevent waste from entering the River Cherwell.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Calum Miller, Official Report, 9 December 2025; Vol. 777, c. 282.]
[P003146]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mary Creagh):
The Environment Agency has been working closely with partner organisations through the locally convened strategic co-ordinating group to monitor the potential community and environmental impacts on the site and have put in place mitigations to protect the river from waste in the event of heavy rain and flooding. While it is not the Environment Agency’s responsibility to clear illegal waste sites, and it is not funded to do so, it has the power to clear waste in exceptional circumstances, if there is a significant risk to the environment.
On 11 December 2025, the Environment Agency made the exceptional decision to progress works to entirely clear the site of waste. This followed new information and advice from the fire and rescue services that indicated the increased possibility of a fire on site. The scale of this fire risk presents an overriding public imperative.
The Environment Agency is working rapidly to implement a safe, systematic and focused clearance plan. Details on the timeframe for clearance have been shared. The Environment Agency has to ensure that this vast amount of waste is handled correctly and moved to the right facilities without causing further damage to the environment.
The Environment Agency is monitoring risks at the site and will respond to any change in situation promptly. The current risk of the waste entering the river is very low. A barrier has been installed at the site to prevent waste entering the river; this is to safeguard both the environment and public safety in the event of rising river levels or flooding.
The Environment Agency has been carrying out water quality sampling of the River Cherwell to check for potential impacts of run-off or leaching from the waste. Having sampled both upstream and downstream of the site, they have found no indication of pollution entering the River Cherwell because of the waste.
The illegal dumping at this site has been a blight on the community, with potential impacts on the local environment, emergency services and the economy. The Environment Agency has been leading a major criminal investigation through its national environmental crime unit to find those responsible. One person was arrested last month in connection with the incident. Those responsible for committing waste crime, rather than taxpayers, should cover the cost of the clean-up. The Environment Agency will continue to pursue the criminals to ensure they face justice and to recover the clean-up costs.