Work has begun to clear the Bolton House Road illegal waste site, the Government has announced today (Tuesday 10 November), bringing relief to a community that has endured major disruption from the notorious site.
The operation will see an estimated 18,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste dug up and removed from the site in Wigan.
Specialist removal teams will aim to clear up to 25 lorry loads of waste each day. The whole operation is expected to be complete in spring 2027.
The Bolton House Road site has caused misery for residents and a fire started at the site in summer 2025, forcing a nearby school to close as a precaution which is why the government, working Wigan council, stepped in to clean it up.
The Environment Agency is also hunting down the criminals behind the appalling dumping, and five arrests have already been made as part of the investigation. This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement of a crackdown on waste crime, with the Government and Environment Agency working together to ensure serious, organised criminal gangs have nowhere to hide.
No community should have to live with the misery that illegal waste sites like this in Wigan inflict on their everyday lives.
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.
By putting more officers on the frontline and using drones, we will find the thugs responsible for this heinous crime and make sure they face the consequences.
This local community has had to put up with this illegal waste site for too long, and 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.
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. We want to continue engaging with local residents about how we can ensure a cleaner, safer future for the area once waste is completely removed from the site.
I’m really pleased to see work starting on the ground to clear this horrendous blight from people’s lives.
I know it’s been devastating for residents to live with this awful site on their doorstep, and I hope seeing the first loads of waste leaving their community brings some relief.
We’ve made a number of arrests in connection with the ongoing investigation, and our focus remains on bringing those responsible for this atrocious crime to justice.
Removing the waste is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. We will work closely with the council on the long-term future of the site once the clearance is complete.
This is another step in the government’s 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.
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 to deter those who dump illegally.
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 together to dismantle criminal operations and deliver results.
The Government is also giving the Environment Agency stronger powers to punish those who break the law. 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 much tougher sanctions, including prosecution and imprisonment.
Beyond fines and prosecution, the Government will ensure that criminals pay for their actions in full. The Environment Agency’s powers to confiscate cash, cars, houses and other assets bought with the proceeds of waste crime will grow, backed by new powers in the Crime and Policing Act 2026 to speed up confiscation orders.
Through its 10-Point Plan on waste crime, the Environment Agency is also tackling illegal activity more widely, including suspending or revoking permits and naming and shaming illegal operators.
The Environment Agency urges anyone with information that may assist the Bolton House Road investigation to call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 807060. Alternatively, the public can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or their website.
Sources and further reading
GOV.UK — News & Communications — original report · Original publication: 2026-11-10
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