Overview
- The Environment Agency has secured a court order closing the Kidlington site for at least six months and has specialist officers investigating with police partners.
- In an emergency Commons session, local MP Calum Miller urged ministers to issue a directive compelling immediate clearance, citing the 2024 Hoades Wood precedent.
- Environment minister Emma Hardy said she is limited in what she can disclose due to the criminal investigation but noted the agency is working closely with local partners.
- The pile is reported as hundreds of tonnes and roughly 10 metres high, with lengths cited from about 60 to around 150 metres, and the agency is monitoring the river for pollution as runoff reaches a nearby brook.
- Estimated removal costs could exceed Cherwell District Council’s annual budget, intensifying demands for central funding, while the inquiry into possible organised-crime links continues.