Home / Environment / £150k Field Becomes UK's Worst Illegal Dump Site
£150k Field Becomes UK's Worst Illegal Dump Site
22 Nov
Summary
- Four acres of greenbelt land near Kidlington were sold for £150,000.
- Over 12,000 square metres of toxic waste were illegally dumped.
- Cleanup costs are estimated at a staggering £25 million.
A four-acre field near Kidlington, purchased for £150,000, has been transformed into a massive toxic waste dump, spanning approximately 12,000 square metres. This illegal fly-tipping, one of the worst environmental crimes in British history, occurred despite authorities being notified. Local residents and environmentalists are dismayed by the inaction of Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, and the Environment Agency, who visited the site but failed to stop the ongoing desecration over several months.
The scale of the waste is immense, with half the site covered by a 10-metre high mound and another section buried. This has led to fears of toxic leaching into the River Cherwell and potential combustion. Environmentalists estimate the cleanup will cost an astonishing £25 million, sparking anger and calls for accountability from government officials. Daniel Winstone, the landowner, is now faced with the legal responsibility for the mess, despite having no involvement in the dumping itself, and is prevented from accessing his property.
This incident is linked to a surge in illegal fly-tipping, driven by high landfill taxes which make illicit dumping highly profitable for criminal gangs. A House of Lords inquiry noted that 38 million tonnes of waste are illegally dumped annually in the UK. Authorities belatedly closed the site in late October, but the damage is done, with toxic chemicals expected to leach into the soil and river as winter rains fall.
