England has formed a cross-agency Waste Crime Crackdown Group to coordinate enforcement against organised dumping and examine where regulators need stronger powers.
The group brings together the Environment Agency, police, mayors, local authorities and waste-sector representatives. Its first meeting is focused on intelligence sharing, weaknesses in the waste system that criminal operators exploit, and practical obstacles that prevent agencies from moving quickly against illegal sites.
The government said 36 arrests have been made since April through a mixture of raids, investigations and prosecutions. Environment Agency officers are making greater use of drones, while permits have been removed from some operators and fines for illegal dumping have increased. Investigations continue at several sites even after the clearance of large deposits at Kidlington and Hoad’s Wood.
The initiative does not itself create a new criminal offence or confiscation power. It is an enforcement and policy-coordination mechanism. Ministers have, however, asked the group to examine whether existing powers leave gaps. The government separately plans to give the Environment Agency broader capacity to confiscate cash, vehicles, homes and other assets said to represent the proceeds of waste crime.
The distinction matters because some of the most visible measures remain proposals or depend on powers conferred elsewhere, including the Crime and Policing Act 2026. The group’s immediate work is to improve deployment of existing tools and identify changes for later action.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ announcement of 4 November 2026 is available here.
