Illegal Rubbish Tip Sheppey Image: Environment Agency
MINSTER, ISLE OF SHEPPEY – Environmental authorities have taken the aggressive step of physically sealing off an illegal waste site on Power Station Road, deploying concrete blocks and heavy-duty locks to end a cycle of persistent law-breaking. The Environment Agency (EA) moved to secure a formal Restriction Order after the site operators ignored previous legal demands to clear the land and cease operations.
The crackdown follows a coordinated investigation involving the Joint Unit for Waste Crime, Kent Police, and Swale Borough Council. Officials originally targeted the site following reports that vast quantities of waste were being processed and stored without the required environmental permits. While the EA initially served an enforcement notice ordering the site to be cleared, follow-up inspections revealed that the instructions had been ignored, prompting the high-profile closure.
Under the terms of the new court order, the site is now legally off-limits. The Environment Agency has reinforced the perimeter with physical barriers and posted warning notices at the entrance. Officials have made it clear that anyone entering the land without a reasonable excuse or express written permission is now committing a criminal offence. This strict legal protection also extends to the site’s security measures, meaning any attempt to tamper with the locks or notices could lead to immediate prosecution.
Matt Higginson, Environment Manager at the Environment Agency, made it clear that illegal waste activity has a devastating impact on local communities and the environment. He noted that the agency is increasingly prepared to use these powers, highlighting that this closure mirrors successful enforcement actions recently taken at Eastchurch and Hoads Wood. Higginson warned that the EA’s toolkit for tackling waste crime includes the pursuit of prison sentences for those found responsible for illegal dumping.
Authorities are now calling on the public to help maintain the integrity of the closure. Residents who witness illegal tipping or suspicious activity at the Power Station Road site are encouraged to contact the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline at 0800 80 70 60, or provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.