Overview
- The EA confirmed a 33‑pilot drones squad, with some aircraft to be fitted with Lidar, to detect and precisely map illegal dumps for evidence in court.
- New software will scan weekly HGV operator licence applications against EA waste‑permit records to flag suspect firms before they move waste, following a successful East Anglia trial that enabled intervention within a week.
- The Joint Unit for Waste Crime has expanded from 13 to 20 specialists who are working alongside police forces and the National Crime Agency to disrupt organised networks.
- Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the measures are funded by a rise of over 50% in the EA’s waste‑crime enforcement budget to £15.6 million.
- The EA cites a record 751 illegal sites shut last year, 272 drone flight hours since July, and widespread concern over large dumps such as Kidlington and Hoads Wood, with BBC FOI data indicating 517 active tips at the end of last year.