Work Starts on 25-Tonne Illegal Waste Site on the King's Land in Wigan

Acumen Waste Service Limited has started preparatory works to clear a 25-tonne illegal waste dump on Bolton House Road in Bickershaw, Wigan — a site spread across land owned by Wigan Council and the Duchy of Lancaster, the King's private estate.

The contractor is currently clearing vegetation around the land, with waste removal due to begin over the coming weeks. Last month, Wigan Council named Acumen as its preferred contractor for the job, picking a firm with a track record in this exact type of remediation: Acumen completed the £6m clean-up of a similar illegal dump in Oxfordshire.

Who is paying for the clearance?

The government is funding the operation at the taxpayer's expense, as part of its commitment to clear what it calls the 'most egregious illegal waste sites' across the UK. Philip Duffy, chief executive of the Environment Agency, told a House of Lords committee that the government has committed £65m towards the project.

Ministers have promised to recoup the clean-up costs from those responsible for dumping the waste by confiscating their money and assets. The recovery record so far is thin. Figures reported by the BBC show that between January 2021 and March 2026, the Environment Agency recovered just £7.3m through Proceeds of Crime Act (Poca) confiscation orders — a fraction of the committed spend.

Why is the King's estate involved?

Under environmental regulations, landowners typically carry responsibility for clearing waste illegally dumped on their land. The Duchy of Lancaster, which inherited the Bolton House Road site due to an ancient law, says it is exempt from regulatory obligations because the estate did not inherit any liabilities attached to the property.

That position has drawn political fire. Speaking in March when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham condemned the Duchy and said its response to the illegal waste dump in Wigan was 'not acceptable'. Josh Simons, who was the area's local MP before standing down so Burnham could run to replace him, previously called for the Duchy to pay its share of the clean-up costs. The Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) both declined to comment when contacted by Circular Online.

What has happened on the ground so far?

The site's history is a catalogue of escalating incidents:

• A major fire burned at the site for a week and forced nearby schools to shut.
• In July 2025, a multi-agency partnership was formed to manage the site, prevent further waste dumping, and minimise risks to residents and the environment.
• This summer, four people were arrested in connection with the large-scale illegal waste dumping in Bickershaw.
• A recent Sky News investigation found toxic chemicals at the Wigan site that have not been approved for use in the UK for decades because they pose a danger to human and animal life.

The Environment Agency has said it will carefully consider the claims of toxic chemicals at illegal waste sites.

What did local leaders say?

Councillor Nazia Rehman, Leader of Wigan Council, called the start of works a clear sign of progress and a 'significant moment' for the community impacted by the illegal waste site.

"Reaching this stage also demonstrates the commitment of the council and partners to deliver the necessary framework for waste clearance, but our work does not stop here," Rehman said.

"We will continue to work with residents to ensure their voice is heard in the future of the site and will continue to support the Environment Agency's criminal investigation to make sure those responsible are held accountable for the damage and distress they have caused," she added.

The Bolton House Road site is not currently subject to a Restriction Order. Wigan Council has, however, issued a Closure Order, which makes it a criminal offence for anyone to enter the premises.

What happens next turns on two things: whether the physical removal, starting in the coming weeks, stays on schedule, and whether the Environment Agency's criminal investigation converts arrests into confiscations that actually claw back public money.