Wigan clean-up begins: 18,000 tonnes of illegal waste targeted by spring 2027

Specialist removal teams have begun digging out an estimated 18,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste from a notorious illegal dump in Wigan, in a government-funded operation expected to run until spring 2027.

The clearance plan sets a throughput target of up to 25 lorry loads of waste removed each day. The material sits on land owned by Wigan Council and King Charles, according to the project details released this week.

The site burned in 2025. That fire forced a nearby school and local businesses to close, underlining the risk profile that pushed the location up the government's priority list.

Who is being held responsible?

An Environment Agency investigation remains underway to identify those responsible for dumping the waste. Five arrests have been made in connection with the site. The agency has not yet confirmed whether charges will follow, and the investigation continues alongside the physical clearance.

What have ministers and the council said?

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle framed the operation as part of a broader enforcement push.

"No community should have to live with the misery that illegal waste sites like this in Wigan inflict on their everyday lives," Eagle said.

"This government is taking decisive action to put an end to waste crime, and this major clean-up is an important step in putting things right for local people," she added.

Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor Nazia Rehman, said the local community had endured the site for too long and pointed to the "unacceptable impact it has had on their lives".

"I want to thank everyone who has campaigned tirelessly to get us to this point and this is a really important milestone, with waste removal now underway," Rehman said.

"We will be working to keep our communities' voice at the heart of this process as the waste is removed, and this isn't the end," she continued, adding that the council wants to keep engaging residents on "a cleaner, safer future for the area once waste is completely removed from the site".

How was the site selected?

The Wigan operation forms part of the government's commitment to clear some of the country's "most egregious illegal waste sites", a programme that also covers Midland Road in Bradford.

Officials prioritised sites on four criteria:

• Scale of the deposited waste
• Risk to nearby communities
• Environmental damage
• Links to persistent non-compliance and organised waste crime

Wigan scored across all four, with the 2025 fire providing concrete evidence of community risk.

Is enforcement escalating?

Yes. Last week a new Waste Crime Crackdown Group met for the first time. Dame Angela Eagle chairs the group, which brought regulators and law enforcement together to discuss how best to respond to waste crime.

The group's creation signals a shift from site-by-site remediation toward coordinated cross-agency enforcement, with the Wigan clearance serving as the first visible test of the programme.

What happens next?

Two milestones will decide the trajectory. First, the Environment Agency investigation must convert its five arrests into prosecutions, or the deterrent effect of the clean-up weakens considerably. Second, the removal operation must sustain its 25-loads-per-day pace to hit the spring 2027 completion target.

Until then, the site remains an active case study in how the state handles the legacy of organised waste crime on public and Crown land.