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£15m spent cleaning illegal waste supersite in ancient woodland
The site was cleared after 39,500 tonnes of commercial waste were removed, and investigators are still seeking leads in the case.
- On Friday, the Environment Agency announced completion of a 15-month cleanup at Hoad's Wood in Kent, removing nearly 40,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste at a cost of £15.5 million to taxpayers.
- Criminal gangs targeted the ancient woodland in 2023, dumping commercial waste up to 15ft high at the Site of Special Scientific Interest and creating what officials described as an "environmental disaster."
- Acumen Waste Services Ltd managed the operation, removing 39,500 tonnes of waste via 2,500 lorry loads. Matthew Higginson, Environment Agency area environmental manager, called it "arguably the worst waste dump I've seen."
- Public access remains restricted to facilitate natural recovery, while investigations continue after three arrests were made in February 2025, though no prosecutions have yet been brought.
- Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle stated the government is "committed to doing more" to tackle waste crime, implementing a new "trigger plan" to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement and regulators.
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Illegal waste dump in ancient Kent woodland fully cleared after 15-month operation
A 15-month clean-up operation has removed close to 40,000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish from an ancient woodland in Kent.The Environment Agency confirmed it removed the waste from Hoad's Wood, an ancient woodland near Ashford.The effort required about 2,500 lorry-loads to haul away household and construction waste from the beauty spot, with the total bill expected to reach around £15.5million.Acumen Waste Services Ltd carried out the work a…
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution34% Left, 33% Center, 33% Right
Bias Distribution
- 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
34% Left
L 34%
C 33%
R 33%
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