18 Accepted

The Environment Agency regulates a range of industrial sectors and various parts of the waste...

Conclusion
The Environment Agency regulates a range of industrial sectors and various parts of the waste management system, including landfill sites, mining, energy from waste, producer packaging and international waste shipments.44 It issues permits to, and inspects, waste sites. In 2024–25 it inspected 6,618 permitted waste sites.45 The Environment Agency told us that last year 40,000 of the 100,000 phone calls it received were complaints about the smell or disruption caused by permitted waste sites.46 It also told us that 460 waste sites across the UK had been in the worst performing category for more than one year, indicating these sites are risking damage to the environment, people or places. It explained that these worst performing sites were at risk of having their permit suspended or revoked. The Environment Agency told us it had revoked some permits recently, including the permit for the landfill site at Walley’s Quarry in Staffordshire, which had caused noise and disruption to the local area for many years.47
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and aims for implementation by September 2027. It will strengthen intelligence capabilities through the Waste Crime Action Plan, invest in advanced technologies, establish an Operational Waste Intelligence and Analysis Unit, and use HM Land Registry data to detect unusual activity.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee's recommendations. Target implementation date: September 2027. The recently published Waste Crime Action Plan delivers the toughest ever crackdown on illegal dumping, setting out government’s intention to strengthen intelligence capabilities to improve the detection of waste crime. Defra is investing in advanced technologies and with NPCC, are reviewing intelligence sharing between the Environment Agency, Local Authorities, the police, NCA and HMRC to ensure that enforcement bodies have access to the high-quality evidence needed for effective prosecution. Defra will evaluate the application of new technologies as it goes along, to understand their impact on response times. The Environment Agency is introducing a new Operational Waste Intelligence and Analysis Unit to bring together satellite, drone and visual imagery, financial and criminal data and other intelligence. The unit will spot unusual activity sooner, flag risks before they escalate and accelerate enforcement action. HM Land Registry will support the Environment Agency in accessing land ownership data, meaning the Environment Agency will be better placed to identify unusual patterns at an earlier stage and combine this with other intelligence to trigger more timely interventions. Defra has set up a multi-disciplinary team with a key focus on how digital can support the delivery of its outcomes on waste and the circular economy. This Delivery Group is working with policy and operational colleagues to develop strategic roadmaps to deliver the department’s outcomes here which will inform the investment needed in digital services.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 25 Mar 2026