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Major Clean-Up Begins at Illegal Waste Site in Wigan: About 18,000 Tonnes to Be Removed, Up to 25 Lorry Loads a Day

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 · World · GSM News

The UK Government announced on November 10 that a major clean-up has begun at the illegal waste site on Bolton House Road in Wigan, where about 18,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste are expected to be dug out and removed.

Specialist clearance teams aim to remove up to 25 lorry loads a day, with the whole operation expected to finish in spring 2027. The site caught fire in summer 2025, forcing a nearby school to close as a precaution, prompting the government and Wigan Council to step in. The Environment Agency is pursuing those responsible for the dumping, and five people have been arrested in the investigation.

Alongside the clean-up, the maximum fine for fly-tipping is to rise from £300 to £5,000, with serious offences prosecutable to imprisonment, and the new Waste Crime Crackdown Group, chaired by Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, held its first meeting last week. Eagle said no community should have to live with the misery that illegal waste sites like this in Wigan inflict on their everyday lives. The Environment Agency's 24-hour hotline is 0800 807060. (Source: Environment Agency, United Kingdom)

Source: Environment Agency, United Kingdom

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

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