An illegal dump containing approximately 30,000 tonnes of waste has been discovered on private land adjacent to the M57 / A580 in Knowsley. The Environment Agency has launched a full investigation to identify those responsible and pursue prosecutions.
Knowsley Council is fully supporting this investigation and pushing – as a priority – for the site to be cleared as soon as possible.
Here’s the latest update and what we know so far.
What has been discovered?
An estimated 30,000 tonnes of waste has been illegally dumped on a site just south of the M57 on Knowsley’s border with Liverpool.
The land is privately owned and there is no planning permission associated with this land that would permit the storage of waste or any other materials.
The interior of the site has been cleared and prepared to accommodate the large scale dumping of waste. That work included removing trees and excavating the site to create pits to store the waste. Those responsible have also left a dense border of trees and landscaping around the edge of the site to prevent the activity from being easily seen.
What is the background to this?
The council first became aware of some ‘activity’ on a previously unused, heavily wooded piece of land at the end of August last year. An informal entrance to the land was in the process of being made and a small site cabin and temporary fencing installed.
At the time the council were advised that the site was only being used temporarily for 2 weeks as a compound to support roadworks nearby. A number of materials, seemingly related to highways work, were present on site which supported this claim. A check of the Environment Agency’s database confirmed that the site was subject to a waste exemption, which allows low risk activity of such a nature. There was no visible waste tipped on the site at this point.
Council officers revisited the site two weeks later in September, at which time it was secured and appeared to have been abandoned. Officers returned to the site again in October and noticed that the materials they had seen on their earlier visit were still present. The council contacted the Environment Agency to update them.
In early December the Environment Agency confirmed to the council that they had become aware of illegal waste being dumped on site. It is believed that the majority of the waste was dumped on the site during November 2025.
As soon as the council was notified of the illegal tipping by the Environment Agency it immediately issued a Temporary Stop Notice – meaning that any further waste activity was prohibited (i.e. a criminal offence) for an immediate 56 day period. This allowed the owner of the land to secure access points to the site and prevent any further waste from being tipped.
The site is being closely monitored and information passed to the Environment Agency to aid its investigation.
As far as we are aware, there has been no further tipping on site since early December. The site has been regularly monitored by the Council, Environment Agency and Police since then, and the gathering of evidence was and is ongoing.
Given the scale of the excavation works on site, and the capacity for it to hold significantly more waste, we do believe that had this activity not been discovered it had the potential to become one of the largest illegal waste dumps in the UK.
The discovery of the waste mounds was made by the Environment Agency following reports of mixed waste being deposited on the land.
Luckily, the activity was noticed at a relatively early stage, and swift action has prevented even more waste being tipped at this location.
Anyone with suspicions that illegal waste dumping may be taking place (anywhere) can report this to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060. Any information received will be treated confidentially and details will not be disclosed to any other party.
Why hasn’t the council said anything until now?
The dumping on site was only discovered in December 2025, and the initial priority was to get the site closed down and monitored, and to gather as much information as possible about activity at the site.
The Environment Agency immediately launched a criminal investigation, which means we need to be cautious about releasing information, as we want to ensure that nothing reduces the likelihood of those responsible being brought to justice.
What has been tipped on site, and is there a danger to health?
The exact contents of the waste on site is being investigated by the Environment Agency. Initial observations indicate that the waste is likely to have originally been mixed household waste, which has been through a mechanical process.
The results of the sampling work will help identify any risks or issues associated with this waste.
What happens next?
The Environment Agency’s investigation is ongoing and they are working with Merseyside Police together with the support of the council to hunt down those responsible.
Who is responsible for cleaning up the site?
In line with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, the Environment Agency must do everything possible to ensure that those who deposited the waste pay for the cost of removing it. If this is not possible, it becomes the landowner’s responsibility to remove the waste.
What is going to happen here?
At the moment it is too early to say who will arrange and pay for the clean-up and this is a key concern for the council.
The council is hopeful that those responsible will be brought to justice but that can take time and urgent action is needed to resolve this issue for the benefit of the residents of Knowsley.
The council is calling for the clearance of the site to be prioritised, whilst work to identify those responsible continues.
Public are warned not to go onto the site
Members of the public are reminded that they should not attempt to access this site. This remains a crime scene and access is being closely monitored by the police, Environment Agency and council. The site is extremely unsafe to walk on given the excavation work which has taken place and the contents of the waste is currently unknown – as well as toxins it could contain hidden sharp items.