Landowner fears £500k clean-up cost of Bedfordshire waste dumped in Norfolk will bankrupt him
A landowner fears clean-up costs will bankrupt him after a whopping 1,200 tons of illegal waste was dumped on his site – and he claims it’s all from Bedfordshire.
Peter Dive, 40, said he was left 'numb' when the scores of household and recycling waste were scrapped on his four-acre plot in Stockton, Norfolk, last May.
Peter, from North Wales, said the situation highlighted the struggles of landowners who are ultimately legally responsible for clearing the mess.
The land sits just a mile from Britain's most protected wetland and beauty spot - the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads. He estimates it would cost £500k to remove all the rubbish, or the equivalent of 80 trucks back and forth to the tip.
The Environment Agency (EA) said three people had been arrested and released under investigation.
But Peter is frustrated with the time it has taken to track down the alleged culprits and said the site was a 'ticking timebomb'.
He said: "It's numbing. It's a full on disaster. You own some land and it's meant to be a wise investment. It was a nice place to go, with an orchard and an allotment.
"But it's gone from something that was nice and usable to something I can't even touch or bear to look at.
"It's a sloppy mess and dangerous to walk around. The cost of clean-up would leave me bankrupt."
Peter first became aware of the illegal waste in May 2025 while working on another renovation project in Wales – transforming the historic Rhiw Goch Inn.
The businessman had planned to build a one bedroom or studio eco-home on the land and was in talks with the local council regarding planning.
But the 1,200 ton mess has now stood on the site for nine months, with Peter caught between cleaning it himself or waiting for the outcome of an Environment Agency investigation.
He said: "It's a weird mess to be in. As soon as I touch it, it could be considered my mess."
He says the waste comprises recyclables, carpets, bits of metal along with, documents and people's doctors notes.
"I was determined to work out where it had come from so I tracked people down from the names, numbers and email addresses. They've all come from Bedfordshire and they said they disposed of it in their own bins. It really is concerning that these personal details are being dumped."
Central Bedfordshire Council said it was not involved in the Environment Agency investigation – and added waste it collects is subject to strict controls and due diligence processes.
Luton Borough Council also confirmed that it had not been involved in the investigation or been approached by the Environment Agency, so was unable to comment further.
Bedford Borough Council was also contacted for comment, but has not yet responded.
But Peter says he has already paid a 'few thousand quid' to get rid of waste left in nearby lay-bys, but wanted to see justice done.
Peter is calling for the EA and other authorities to do more to tackle fly-tipping on private land.
The EA is not legally responsible for clearing illegal waste and only retains power to act in exceptional circumstances such as risk of fire.
He said: "In my eyes, with the power the Environment Agency have, this shouldn't be a hard investigation. They have CCTV of three people loading the waste into this area.
"It's all come from one place, the bins of people living in a particular county, and so councils need to have a think about their contracts.”
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Three men have been arrested and questioned in relation to a suspected illegal waste site near Norwich.
"Specialist officers are also following up several lines of enquiry, including conducting other interviews as part of an ongoing criminal investigation."
A Central Bedfordshire Council spokesperson said: “Household waste collected by the council is managed through licensed contractors and subject to strict regulatory controls and due diligence processes. The Environment Agency is conducting a criminal investigation into the illegal deposit of waste on the border of Norfolk and Suffolk, and Central Bedfordshire Council is not subject to the Environment Agency’s investigation.
“As we are not a part of this investigation, we are unable to provide any more comment on an active Environment Agency investigation.”