Work has begun to clear an estimated 18,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from the Bolton House Road site in Wigan, the Government announced on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Specialist removal teams will aim to clear up to 25 lorry loads of waste each day from the site in Bickershaw, Greater Manchester. The whole operation is expected to be complete in spring 2027.

The Government said the clean-up will bring relief to a community that has endured major disruption from the notorious site, and that it is working with Wigan Council to carry out the work.

A site that brought misery to residents

The Bolton House Road site has caused misery for nearby residents, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). A fire started at the site in summer 2025, forcing a nearby school to close as a precaution.

The huge piles of waste built up during the early months of 2025. The Bury Times reported that the clean-up is expected to cost around £4.8 million, and that Wigan Council appointed contractor Acumen Waste Services Ltd to carry out the work.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “No community should have to live with the misery that illegal waste sites like this in Wigan inflict on their everyday lives.”

Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor Nazia Rehman, said the local community had “had to put up with this illegal waste site for too long” and thanked everyone who had campaigned to get the site cleared.

Five arrests as investigation continues

The Environment Agency is hunting down the criminals behind the dumping, and five arrests have already been made as part of the investigation.

Caroline Berry, Area Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, said she was “really pleased to see work starting on the ground to clear this horrendous blight from people’s lives” and that the agency’s focus remains on bringing those responsible to justice.

The Environment Agency urges anyone with information that may assist the Bolton House Road investigation to call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060, or to report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Crackdown on waste crime

The clean-up follows the Prime Minister’s announcement of a crackdown on waste crime, with the Government and the Environment Agency working together to target serious, organised criminal gangs.

To tackle waste crime at its source, the Government is increasing the use of drones, giving mayors and the police a bigger role, and introducing a dramatic rise in fines. Rogue actors who dump waste illegally or fail to treat it correctly are set to face fines of up to £5,000, up from the current maximum of £300, while those responsible for serious offences can already face prosecution and imprisonment.

The Environment Agency’s powers to confiscate cash, cars, houses and other assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime will also grow, backed by new powers in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 to speed up confiscation orders.

Last week, the first meeting of a new Waste Crime Crackdown Group took place. Chaired by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, it brought together regulators and law enforcement to dismantle criminal operations.

The Government said the Wigan operation is another step in its clean-up of some of the country’s most egregious illegal waste sites, including Midland Road in Bradford. Sites were prioritised on scale, risk to nearby communities, environmental damage, and links to persistent non-compliance and organised waste crime.

Sources

GOV.UK: Major clean-up begins at notorious illegal waste site in Wigan

Bury Times: Work to clear Bickershaw illegal waste site to start