Committee publication · Correspondence · 11 November 2025
Correspondence from Philip Duffy, Chief Executive, Environment Agency following the evidence session held on 28 October, dated 30 October 2025
Summary
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency Chief Executive, provides a detailed timeline of the agency's involvement in illegal waste dumping at Hoad's Wood. The letter clarifies that illegal dumping occurred in two periods (2019–2020 and 2023–2024), and explains the agency's response in each case, including the four-month process to obtain a restriction order in January 2024. The agency is investing £2 million to recruit 43 new officers for waste enforcement.
Key findings
- Illegal dumping first reported to Environment Agency on 31 January 2020; agency visited site with Ashford Borough Council on 7 February 2020 and supported ABC's investigation under planning legislation.
- Second period of dumping reported 22 August 2023; agency took the lead response, suspecting organised waste criminals, and worked with Kent Police on targeted operations by September 2023.
- Restriction order issued by Magistrates Court on 16 January 2024, closing site access and stopping illegal dumping after approximately four months of investigation to compile sufficient evidence.
- Agency has cleared over 13,000 tonnes of approximately 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste; expects full clearance by summer 2026.
- Environment Agency investing additional £2 million in 43 new officers nationally to focus on organised crime and major waste investigations in response to lessons learned from Hoad's Wood.
Tone
FactualTopics
environmental-crimewaste-managementlaw-enforcementregulatory-response
Key actors
Philip Duffy, Environment Agency, Alistair Carmichael, Helena Dollimore, Ashford Borough Council, Kent Police
Notable line
“One of the conclusions of the review was that the scale and complexity of organised criminal activity related to the dumping of waste at Hoad's Wood was more significant than we were initially prepared for.”
Key Quotes
“Illegal dumping was first reported to us on 31 January 2020, although we understand it had been occurring before we were notified. We acted quickly once it was reported to us.”
“Based on the information reported to us and from our site visit, we suspected that organised waste criminals were involved, and so at this point, we took the lead in responding to this new period of dumping.”
“It took us approximately four months from the start of our investigation to securing the restriction order, during which time we knew that waste continued to be dumped on site. This delay was not due to inaction by the Environment Agency.”
“Before we could apply, we had to compile enough evidence to meet the high evidential bar required for a restriction order over private property, and we continued to investigate and compile evidence throughout this period.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗