One of the most notorious illegal waste dumps in Gloucestershire is now the subject of a court order which bans anyone else from dumping waste there.
Officials from the Environment Agency went to magistrates in Gloucester to obtain the prohibition notice covering Severnside Farm on the edge of the city, which has been the scene of a crackdown on waste dumping this year.
It emerged at the start of 2026 that a huge illegal waste dump had been growing on land between the St Oswald’s retail park and the A40 on the north west edge of Gloucester.
Last month, the Environment Agency, police and Gloucester City Council mounted a joint operation to ‘disrupt’ activity on the site at Severnside Farm, which included installing 84 concrete blocks at entrances to the land in a bid to stop vehicles from entering and dumping more waste.
A clean-up operation got underway on July 22, but had to be halted the next day after those trying to clear the site found large amounts of asbestos dumped there illegally over the years.
The action on July 22 also included seizing heavy plant machinery and stopping two vehicles laden with waste heading to the site, which has been operating as a waste dump without permission.
The authorities managed to clear 75 tonnes of waste, but it’s estimated that 250 tonnes remain. The Environment Agency said one of the aims of the disruption activity was to stop the illegal waste dump from getting any bigger.
Back in July, a council official said the authorities were ‘absolutely determined’ to clear the site completely and shut it down.
“We remain absolutely committed to clearing this site and protecting local residents,” said James Dykes, the enforcement and regulation service manager at Gloucester City Council, back in July.
“Once the concerns about the asbestos have been resolved, we will do everything we can to tackle the remaining issues,” he added.
Now, the court order will mean it is a criminal offence for anyone to go onto the site and dump waste there. The order came into force on August 12 and will last six months.
“The criminals involved in dumping this waste have caused misery for the community and the environment,” said Nick Green, Area Environment Manager at the EA,
“This order shows we are doing everything to stop the reckless illegal handling and disposal of waste,” he added.
“Working with our partners we’ve shut down the site and secured it while criminal investigations continue.
“This action comes as we ramp up efforts on waste crime across the country as part of our 10 Point Plan, which includes expanding the use of restriction notices and orders to prevent illegal dumping.
“Communities are also our partners in this, acting as our eyes and ears. Reporting information to us as soon as possible means we can take swift action to intervene,” he added.
Council chiefs said they would continue to work with the police and the EA to crack down on Severnside Farm’s illegal waste-dumping operation and any others reported to them.
“We are grateful to the Environment Agency for securing this Restriction Order and taking further legal action to protect the site following the Gloucester City Council-led operation last month,” added Mr Dykes from GCC.
“Illegal waste activity causes significant harm to local communities. We want to send a clear message that Gloucester City Council will not hesitate from taking robust and appropriate action against those responsible.
“We will continue to work with our partners to identify offenders, disrupt illegal activity and protect our communities from this type of environmental damage,” he added.
And the police will be the ones making sure no one breaches the court order.
“We will take robust action against anyone who engages in illegal fly tipping as it blights our communities and presents health risks for residents, as well as creating significant cleaning costs for Public Services,” said Insp James O’Neill, from the Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing team.
