Public urged to report waste crime with two sites in Bedfordshire published on watchlist
A watchlist published in a bid to crack down on waste crime and flytipping includes two locations in central Bedfordshire.
The sites at Stanbridge and Arlesey are among a list of more than 100 sites across the country said to be causing concerns to local communities.
The list has been compiled by The Environment Agency to support residents by reviewing activities of the sites and updating the watchlist every month.
It is also urging the public to report suspected illegal waste activity and for people to report fly tipping and large scale dumping.
The Environment Agency says it’s providing public information about the risks it sees to the environment to help elected officials, local communities, businesses and the voluntary sector understand the issues, scrutinise its decisions and take action themselves.
It states: “Illegal and irregular waste activities harm communities, damage the environment, and undermine legitimate businesses.
“We are stepping up our action on waste crime and will act early to address illegal activity before it becomes established. As part of this commitment, we are publishing this watchlist of sites that are causing concerns within local communities – enabling you to see where we are working. This picture will continuously evolve as we review activities, and we commit to updating the watchlist every month.
“The Environment Agency is restricted in the level of detail it can publish, as we cannot prejudice ongoing enquiries and any associated enforcement action. Whether any activity is illegal is ultimately a matter for the courts to decide, and not the Environment Agency. However, we recognise the need to support communities in accessing information which might affect them.”
The agency adds it will share more details on individual sites as they becomes available – with a view to releasing any site-specific information, which is appropriate to share publicly, by the summer.
It is also appealing for information about any of the sites on the watchlist, or suspected illegal waste activity an0.d for people to report fly-tipping, large-scale dumping or other waste crimes here.
A spokesperson for Central Bedfordshire Council said: “These sites relate to suspected illegal waste operations, which are different from fly-tipping and are led by the Environment Agency. The council’s role is to consider whether land is being used without the necessary planning permission and to take enforcement action where appropriate.
“We were made aware of the Stanbridge site by the Environment Agency in 2025 and acted promptly. This included visiting the site and serving a Stop Notice, which stopped the unauthorised activity. We later issued an Enforcement Notice requiring the site to be cleared and restored by June 21, 2026.
“Following publication of the Environment Agency’s list, we have asked the EA for further information on the Arlesey site and will consider any appropriate action.”