Yahoo News 'Environmental catastrophe' of 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste at Kent beauty spot will be cleared
Contractors have been hired to clear an estimated 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste in a beauty spot in Kent creating what Kent Wildlife Trust dubbed an "environmental catastrophe". The Environment Agency (EA) said the criminal investigation continued in order to bring the offenders "before the courts".
The agency is understood to be determined to claw back the costs of clearing Hoad's Wood near Ashford from the culprits, and not have the taxpayer foot the bill. Details on the plan and timescales will be revealed by the EA at a public meeting hosted by Bethersden Parish Council.
Locals have reported an “eye-watering” stench coming from the special scientific interest site, even at times when they are inside the house with the windows closed. It's been treated like a free dump site by lorry drivers since July last year, enraging residents and campaigners who threatened legal action against the EA because of what they saw as "inaction".
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As KentLive reported in April, campaigners said the bluebell woodland had turned into a "desolate wasteland" buried under landfill waste, which in some areas was 25ft deep, despite continuous reporting of fly-tipping to the authorities.
An Environment Agency spokesperson told KentLive today: "We are currently arranging to clear the waste from Hoads Wood. A contractor has recently been appointed and we are working with them to enable essential preparatory work before clearance can commence. We are keeping the local community informed."
“Additionally, a criminal investigation continues in order to bring those who dumped an estimated 30,000 tonnes of waste at Hoads Wood before the courts.”
The Rescue Hoad's Wood campaign group, supported by Kent Wildlife Trust and other environmental charities, said local people were reporting to authorities up to 20 to 30 trucks dumping illegal waste a day from July 2023, and earlier cases of illegal activity were reported in 2020.
Secretary of State used powers
At that time they said surveys estimated 27,000 tonnes of processed waste needed to be cleared with an estimated budget of £10 million including taxes and contingencies to cover the costs, based on a quote from a local contractor.
That cost is now estimated to be between £ 10 million and £ 15 million by campaigners, who crowdfunded £2,010 for funds if they had taken steps against the EA beyond a counsel's letter towards seeking a judicial review.
In January this year, the EA put a closure order on the site to stop more dumping.
Campaigners along with Kent Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, South East Rivers Trust, Woodland Trust, CPRE England the the CLA jointly wrote to the then Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Barclay, asking for the waste to be removed. He used his powers on May 22 to direct the EA to take action on the "illegal waste site".
A spokesperson for the Rescue Hoad’s Wood Campaign said: "It is encouraging there appears to have been some movement, but the time that this has taken is unacceptable, it should never have got to a stage where we had to crowd-fund to threaten legal action."
"The wildlife in the area has been decimated, water courses polluted with toxic leachate and the “rotten egg” stench of hydrogen sulphide has been detectable, at times, even with windows shut.
'Trees are dying'
"The EA’s delays in acting on the ministerial directive to clear the woods are indicative of the inaction on their part to prevent this disaster in the first place. We are living in hope that this may finally be an end to the misery, to the flora and fauna of Hoad’s Wood and the local community caused by this unchecked, organised criminality."
Ian Rickards of Kent Wildlife Trust said: "Whilst we are pleased that there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, Hoad’s Wood has been buried underneath tonnes of waste for a year now."
"The trees around the site are dying and what has happened here is nothing short of an environmental catastrophe. We’d urge the Environment Agency not to waste another second and begin this much-needed clean-up immediately."
