The dumping has appeared on land between the River Cherwell and the A34 near Kidlington.
Discovered last month by local anglers, the waste heap contains plastic, foam and wood and is believed to weigh “hundreds of tonnes”.
A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: “The Environment Agency is responsible for investigating this case and arranging the clean-up.
“Cherwell District Council will assist its partner agencies where appropriate and possible.”
The Environment Agency (EA) has issued a restriction order to prevent further tipping, after obtaining a court order on 23 October 2025 to close the site to all public access.
An EA spokesperson added: “Specialist officers are investigating waste dumped near the A34 at Kidlington. Their role will be to find who left the waste there and take appropriate action.
“Anyone with information here, or if they suspect waste crime elsewhere, can call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 807060.”
‘Waste is heating up’
Speaking in Parliament on 13 November 2025, local MP Calum Miller warned that the waste has already begun heating up internally, increasing the danger of fire on the floodplain.
He said: Criminals have dumped a mountain of illegal plastic waste, 20 feet high and weighing hundreds of tonnes, in my constituency on the floodplain adjacent to the River Cherwell.
“River levels are rising and heat maps show that the waste is heating up, raising the risk of fire.
“The Environment Agency says that it has limited resources for enforcement, and the estimated cost of removal is greater than the entire annual budget of the local district council.”
The EA’s restriction order has halted further vehicle access, but no remediation plan has yet been confirmed, and local officials fear that without government intervention the site could remain an environmental hazard for months.
‘A whole system failure’
Responding in the Commons, Environment Minister Mary Creagh said the Oxfordshire case exemplifies deeper structural issues in the UK’s waste enforcement regime.
Creagh said: “We inherited a whole system failure in the waste industry, from end to end with failures at every level.
“I am aware of this incident and I am happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss it. I understand that a restriction order was served to prevent further access and tipping at the site.”
Research from Keep Britain Tidy recently revealed that 98% of local authorities now say fly-tipping is a problem in their area, with seven in ten describing it as a major problem.
Councils report that they are being pushed to the limit as the volume and cost of clearing illegal dumps continues to rise.
Earlier this year, a House of Lords committee urged the government to commission an independent review of its approach to waste crime, warning that the current enforcement system is no longer fit for purpose.
In a letter to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, the committee voiced “deep concern about the demonstrable inadequacy” of existing arrangements, criticising the EA’s performance, the limited impact of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and what it described as a longstanding lack of police engagement.
Commenting on the incident, David Gudgeon, Head of External Affairs at Reconomy Connect, said: “These scenes are appalling and activity of this scale is likely linked to organised crime gangs.
“This incident will ultimately cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds to clear while posing a major risk to the local environment.
“It also underscores how the UK continues to be plagued by rogue waste operators who cause severe environmental and economic harm to local communities.
“There must be a much greater focus on advancing the circular economy and preventing waste. Presently, too few materials are making their way back into the economy with most being lost to incineration or landfill.”
Subscribe for free