Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money must now be spent clearing up what is thought to be the biggest illegal dump, right here on our doorstep.
Everyone knew there was an issue at Holford Forest Farm, off Cooke’s Lane in Lostock Gralam. For the past two years I have been pursuing both Cheshire West and the EA demanding it be sorted.
Both parish councils adjacent to the site also raised concerns as did residents – all of which were ignored. Now, the cleanup bill could hit £20 million, based on a site which is less than half the size in Oxfordshire recently cost £8 million. This is an appalling waste of taxpayers’ money.
Both the council and the EA were too busy passing the buck back and forth to take responsibility and while they continued fighting over the mess, the piles of waste grew as did the cleanup bill.
Not only is this dump unsightly, but it has also caused increased flooding of nearby farmland and residential properties, all of which could have been prevented if action was taken sooner.
Illegal dumping is a massive issue in rural areas and there are many places across Cheshire East and Cheshire West where similar things are happening. While not on the same scale as Holford, to name a few, there is a site in Wilmslow, another in High Legh, Styal and also Sproston where the pile of rubbish is taller than the house next door. All of these are being ignored by the relevant local authority. Paying lip service is not good enough. They need to act.
The constant buck passing and blame game needs to end. And we need to send out a strong message that these behaviours will not be tolerated. We need to focus on prevention and enforcement to stop these rogue landowners making quick money by charging less per tonnes of waste for it to be dumped than is charged if disposed properly in landfill.
Whether that be putting a charge on the land when it is sold, or going after the landowner and making them cover the clean-up cost, all options must be explored. This is quite literally a growing problem and we need to come down heavy on this. It is not fair to residents living close to the dumping sites, and every day this is not tackled sees the clean-up bill spiral – money which would be better spent elsewhere.
