{"id":46677,"date":"2026-05-23T14:45:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/46677\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T14:45:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:45:57","slug":"environment-agency-investigating-30000-tonne-illegal-waste-dumping-operation-in-kent-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/46677\/","title":{"rendered":"Environment Agency investigating 30,000-tonne illegal waste dumping operation in Kent village"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Environment Agency\u2019s own figures place the Evaluna site among the 14 largest \u201cactive illegal\u201d dumps in England and one of only three in Kent to have breached the 20,000-tonne threshold.<\/p>\n

Drone images captured for KentOnline reveal what looks like an expanse of little more than thick foliage, with only subtle rises in the land hinting at what may lie beneath.<\/p>\n

At ground level, the site also appears unremarkable, with portable toilets, caravans, sheds and a handful of old vehicles scattered around the gated plot, just about visible from the lane through the well-established treeline.<\/p>\n

A nearby track hosts a small excavator vehicle with a bucket hooked to the front, but there is no activity at the scene when our reporter visits.<\/p>\n

\"The\"TheThe gate to Evaluna in Plumpudding Lane, Dargate\"The\"TheThe Evaluna site in Dargate is being investigated by the Environment Agency over illegal waste tipping<\/p>\n

Yet according to the Environment Agency, the land now contains an estimated 30,000 tonnes of waste, made up \u201cpredominantly of soil with varying levels of construction waste\u201d.<\/p>\n

It places the Faversham site alongside the infamous Hoads Wood dump near Ashford, where up to 34,000 tonnes of waste – including some hazardous material – was illegally tipped in protected ancient woodland.<\/p>\n

Only Raspberry Hill Farm near Sittingbourne, estimated to contain 36,000 tonnes, is believed to be larger in Kent.<\/p>\n

The scale of the country\u2019s waste crime problem has prompted a major House of Lords inquiry, during which Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy previously admitted the current system for tackling rogue operators was failing.<\/p>\n

Giving evidence to the Environment and Climate Change Committee in March, he said the approach to waste crime was \u201ctoo slow, too weak and too uncertain\u201d and warned organised crime gangs had \u201cpenetrated the UK waste sector\u201d.<\/p>\n

Kent was specifically identified as one of the regions where Environment Agency officers are \u201cspread thinly\u201d because of the concentration of illegal waste sites here and in London, with peers told there are just \u201cfive and a half investigators from Dover to Dorset\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"The\"TheThe Environment Agency estimates there are about 30,000 tonnes of illegal waste dumped on the site, predominantly soil mixed with building rubble<\/p>\n

But the Evaluna site \u2013 one of eight new mega dumps named by the agency in addition to six earlier this year \u2013 is among those firmly on the small team\u2019s radar.<\/p>\n

Officers have already revoked an exemption previously being used by operators after concluding activities on the land no longer met the required conditions.<\/p>\n

The agency has also demanded paperwork and documentation relating to the site\u2019s activities and carried out repeated inspections following reports of fresh tipping.<\/p>\n

Activity there raised eyebrows several years ago, with the matter first reported to investigators in 2022.<\/p>\n

Historic Google Street View images from 2009 show the site was once open fields and horse paddocks, before gradually becoming more developed in recent years.<\/p>\n

A 2023 image captured a mound of earth piled about halfway down the plot.<\/p>\n

\"The\"TheThe Evaluna site in Dargate pictured on Google Street View in 2009 when it was mostly pasture land. Picture: Google\"The\"TheThe Evaluna site in Dargate, pictured on Google Street View in 2023, when it had become more developed and a mound of earth can be seen in the background. Picture: Google<\/p>\n

The Environment Agency insists the site is considered \u201clow risk\u201d, despite its enormous size, because much of the material is believed to be inert soil rather than highly hazardous waste.<\/p>\n

Specialist environmental crime officers have calculated the size of the dump as an \u201cestimate based on years of experience\u201d and are continuing their investigation.<\/p>\n

However, the agency has repeatedly stressed tonnage alone does not tell the full story.<\/p>\n

In a letter sent to Baroness Sheehan ahead of the Lords inquiry, Mr Duffy warned estimates are difficult because waste may be buried underground, compacted over time or mixed with different materials.<\/p>\n

He wrote: \u201cThe nature of illegal waste dumping means that this is a dynamic picture.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scandal surrounding Hoads Wood has become a defining example of the crisis facing regulators.<\/p>\n

\"Up\"UpUp to 34,000 tonnes of waste was dumped at Hoads Wood near Ashford, with the ongoing clean-up operation costing the Environment Agency \u00a315 million<\/p>\n

The Ashford woodland site, located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, became so severe that the then environment secretary Steve Barclay issued an unprecedented direction ordering the Environment Agency to clear it.<\/p>\n

The clean-up operation is expected to cost about \u00a315 million, with 24,800 tonnes of waste removed so far.<\/p>\n

Kent Police also made arrests linked to the case last year.<\/p>\n

During the Lords hearing, Mr Duffy acknowledged authorities had often reacted too slowly once large dumps began appearing.<\/p>\n

He said criminals were exploiting weaknesses in the system, sometimes dumping huge amounts of waste in just days.<\/p>\n

The inquiry heard operators frequently use remote land hidden behind trees or barriers, making activity difficult to spot from nearby roads.<\/p>\n

\"Raspberry\"RaspberryRaspberry Hill Park Farm in Iwade – pictured in 2024 – was the second illegal mega dump in Kent identified by the Environment Agency<\/p>\n

Mr Duffy also revealed criminals sometimes rapidly transfer ownership of land or divide sites into smaller parcels to complicate enforcement and avoid liability.<\/p>\n

The Environment Agency has now pledged a tougher approach through a new 10-point plan announced in March.<\/p>\n

Measures include faster intervention, greater intelligence-sharing with police and councils, and expanded use of restriction notices capable of shutting illegal operations immediately.<\/p>\n

Officials told peers they now aim to visit suspected illegal waste sites within 48 hours of receiving credible intelligence.<\/p>\n

The agency is also preparing to publish details of major illegal waste sites through a new public \u201cWaste Hub\u201d.<\/p>\n

It says it is beginning to see some successes nationally, with 971 illegal waste sites closed since the start of 2025.<\/p>\n

\"From\"FromFrom the air, the only signs of waste dumping at Evaluna are subtle rises in the ground<\/p>\n

Of those, 27% have either already been cleared of waste or brought back into compliance.<\/p>\n

But officials acknowledge the enormous quantities of waste already uncovered across England – some capable of contaminating land and waterways – may still only scratch the surface.<\/p>\n

Waste crime is estimated to cost the national economy about \u00a31 billion annually, with roughly one-fifth of all waste thought to be handled illegally.<\/p>\n

The Environment Agency believes much of the offending is being driven not by small-time fly-tippers but by sophisticated criminal networks exploiting weaknesses in the waste industry, \u201cundercutting legitimate businesses and depriving the public purse of millions in lost tax revenue\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr Duffy told peers: \u201cYou do not acquire 20,000 tonnes of trommelled household waste by going round a housing estate in a van or by picking up skips.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Environment Agency spokesperson told KentOnline: \u201cWaste crime is a major and growing problem – through our 10-Point Plan, we are changing gear and moving upstream to stop illegal sites before they become established.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are doing everything within our power – including naming rogue operators and making greater use of intelligence – to ensure that perpetrators pay the price for their despicable actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are actively investigating the site in Faversham and will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Environment Agency\u2019s own figures place the Evaluna site among the 14 largest \u201cactive illegal\u201d dumps in England…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46678,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[528,661,1537,529,309,1834,14,1118,5,6],"class_list":["post-46677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uk","tag-environment","tag-exclusive","tag-faversham","tag-human-interest","tag-kent","tag-planning","tag-politics","tag-syndicate","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116624436964622638","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46677"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46677\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}