Bolton House Road Illegal Waste Site Clearance Begins 2026

Key Points

• Acumen Waste Services Ltd has commenced the mobilisation activities at the unlawful waste site in Bolton House Road, Bickershaw, Wigan.
• The company was commissioned by Wigan Council after a rigorous tendering process conducted by the council.
• Activities involved in mobilisation include equipment delivery at the site and vegetation clearance to facilitate the commencement of waste removal in the next few weeks.
• The Environment Agency has estimated the total amount of waste stored at the site to be approximately 23,000 tonnes of mixed shredded waste without environmental authorization.
• There was a major fire accident at the site in July 2025 that resulted in the declaration of a major incident.
• A closure order at the site was made in March 2026 by the Wigan Council to prevent any unauthorized access.
• The central government is committed to funding the clean-up exercise.
• A criminal inquiry regarding the unlawful dumping activity is currently ongoing.
• Closure orders have been issued at Bolton House Road site and the adjacent Old Cricket Ground site.
• Councillor Nazia Rehman, Leader of Wigan Council, has called this development a crucial step for the affected community.

Bolton (Manchester Mirror) October 23, 2026 – Work has begun to clear the Bolton House Road illegal waste site after Wigan Council appointed Acumen Waste Services Limited as the main contractor for the clean-up operation.

As reported by Wigan Council, Acumen Waste Services Limited has started preparatory works to remove illegally deposited waste at Bolton House Road. The council said the company is bringing equipment onto the site and clearing vegetation to allow waste removal to begin in the coming weeks.

The development follows a procurement process led by Wigan Council to identify a contractor capable of safely clearing the site. In September, the council announced that Acumen Waste Services Limited had been selected as the preferred contractor, subject to contract.

The council said the appointment followed a robust tender process in which applicants were required to explain how they would safely remove the waste and manage the risks associated with the operation.

Why Was Acumen Waste Services Appointed?

Wigan Council said Acumen Waste Services Limited was chosen after the authority assessed bids from specialist contractors. The procurement was conducted on an accelerated timetable because of the urgent need to clear waste that the council said presented risks to public health, the environment and fire safety.

In the tender notice published through the Find a Tender service, Wigan Council said the clearance work included waste deposited on Diggle Flash Nature Reserve, to the rear and east of the Bolton House Road site. The notice stated that the council expected around 18,000 tonnes of waste to be removed, based on a LiDAR survey that calculated the waste volume at 23,086 cubic metres.

The tender documents set out a phased approach. They included site preparation and access, arboriculture and ground-protection works, excavation, loading and waste treatment, followed by safe reprofiling of the land and measures to protect public safety.

The documents also stated that contractors would be responsible for management, access, construction, security, health and safety, environmental protection, haulage, treatment and restoration.

What Did Wigan Council Say?

Councillor Nazia Rehman, Leader of Wigan Council, said the contract signing and mobilisation at Bolton House Road represented clear progress and a significant moment for the community.

As reported by Wigan Council, Councillor Rehman said residents had had to deal with the consequences of the illegal waste site, and that the start of mobilisation marked an important stage in the response.

The council has previously said that its clearance work is limited to land it owns. It has also said that waste on the site is being sampled to identify properly licensed disposal routes.

Wigan Council said independent organisations have sampled the site’s waste, water and odour as part of the multi-agency preparations for removal. The authority added that waste will continue to be sampled as it is removed.

How Large Is The Waste Problem?

The scale of the issue at Bolton House Road has been significant. According to the Environment Agency, approximately 23,000 tonnes of mixed shredded waste had been stored on land without an environmental permit.

The Environment Agency’s public engagement page for Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire illegal waste sites said the site was placed on the Wigan Watchlist as site 115 in October 2026. It stated that the agency found the waste during its investigation into activity at the location.

The Environment Agency said a major incident was declared in July 2025 after a large fire at the site in Wigan, Greater Manchester. It said the site has since been secured with 24-hour security and CCTV cameras.

The agency also said that disposal of waste at the site has stopped and that a criminal investigation is under way.

What Safety Measures Are In Place?

Wigan Council and its partner agencies have taken several steps to secure the site and reduce risks before clearance begins.

The Environment Agency said access to the site has been restricted through concrete blocks and locked gates. It said Wigan Council obtained a closure order to secure the land, while CCTV, regular site visits and 24-hour security have been used to prevent further activity.

Closure orders remain in place at Bolton House Road and the neighbouring Old Cricket Ground. The measures are intended to prevent access by unauthorised individuals.

Water tanks have also been placed around the site to enable Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to respond quickly if a fire breaks out. According to the Environment Agency’s July 2026 residents’ newsletter, contracts were also in place to bring diggers to the site and urgently move waste in the event of a fire.

What Happened Before The Clearance Began?

The clearance follows more than a year of multi-agency work involving Wigan Council, the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.

In June 2026, Wigan Council said the multi-agency recovery group had spent the previous 12 months assessing and sampling waste, managing public health risks and identifying potential contractors, costs and licensed disposal routes.

The council said central government had given assurances that funding required for the clearance would be provided. It said the decision for Wigan Council to lead the clean-up was reached by the multi-agency group to speed up the process and ensure the community’s voice was reflected.

In March 2026, Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court approved a closure order for the Bolton House Road land. The council said the order was secured after the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan committed to clearing the Bickershaw site.

The council said the closure order would prevent access by unauthorised individuals while assessments and preparations for waste removal continued.

What Have Other Reports Said?

The Manchester Evening News reported that approximately 25,000 tonnes of hazardous waste was unlawfully dumped at the site in 2025. The report said the clean-up operation was scheduled to begin in October after Wigan Council named Acumen Waste Services Ltd as the contractor.

The BBC reported in August 2026 that four men had been arrested in connection with what it described as large-scale illegal dumping at the site. The BBC said residents near Bolton House Road had experienced bad smells and that a week-long fire the previous summer had caused nearby schools to close.

LocalGov reported that the arrests prompted Wigan Council to support enforcement action. It reported that the council had placed concrete blocks at the entrance to prevent further dumping and that the government had pledged funding for the restoration of the area.

Wigan Council’s own reporting has not attributed the arrests to specific individuals or confirmed charges. The criminal investigation remains ongoing.

What Happens Next At The Site?

The immediate next stage is for Acumen Waste Services Limited to complete mobilisation and begin removing waste from the site.

Wigan Council said the current works are preparatory. Equipment is being brought in and vegetation is being cleared to create the conditions needed for waste removal to start in the coming weeks.

The contractor will need to establish access for heavy goods vehicles. The earlier tender notice said access was expected to be via the Smith’s Lane nature reserve and Diggle Flash footpath, involving a narrow track of approximately 750 metres. It said overgrowth, trees and canopy would need to be removed along the route to allow HGV access.

Once waste is excavated and loaded, it will be transported to permitted disposal facilities. The tender documents said remaining waste would then need to be reprofiled and the area left safe, with land remediation potentially required.

Background Of The Development

The Bolton House Road site in Bickershaw became the focus of a major multi-agency response after large quantities of waste were illegally deposited there. The Environment Agency said mixed shredded waste had been stored without an environmental permit and estimated the quantity at around 23,000 tonnes.

A large fire at the site in July 2025 led to a major incident being declared. Reports by the BBC and LocalGov said the fire lasted for around a week, caused disruption nearby and contributed to school closures.

In March 2026, Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court granted a closure order for the site. Wigan Council said the order was obtained alongside the government’s commitment to fund clearance under its Waste Crime Action Plan.

Wigan Council subsequently led a procurement exercise to appoint a specialist contractor. In September 2026, it named Acumen Waste Services Limited as its preferred bidder, subject to contract. Under the Procurement Act 2023, the council said a mandatory standstill period of eight working days followed publication of the contract award notice, allowing unsuccessful bidders to review scores, request feedback and challenge the decision.

The contract was expected to be signed in early October, with mobilisation planned for late October. Wigan Council has now confirmed that mobilisation has started.

How Will This Affect Bickershaw Residents?

For residents of Bickershaw and the wider Wigan area, the start of mobilisation is likely to bring the long-awaited clearance operation closer. The works are expected to reduce the presence of illegally deposited waste at Bolton House Road and move the site towards restoration.

Residents may notice increased activity around the site as equipment arrives and vegetation is cleared. The council’s tender documents indicated that works could involve vehicle movements, excavation, haulage and vegetation removal, although contractors were required to set out how they would manage impacts such as dust, odour, litter, mud and fire risk.

The continued closure orders and security arrangements mean residents should not enter the Bolton House Road site or the neighbouring Old Cricket Ground. The Environment Agency has said the site remains under monitoring and that environmental risks continue to be assessed.

If waste removal proceeds as planned, the development may reduce ongoing concerns about odour, vermin, fire risk and environmental harm. However, the timetable for full clearance and restoration will depend on site conditions, weather and the availability of licensed disposal facilities.

Prediction

The appointment of Acumen Waste Services Limited and the start of mobilisation suggest that physical waste removal at Bolton House Road is now imminent. For Bickershaw residents, the most immediate effect is likely to be visible preparatory activity, followed by waste removal operations in the coming weeks.

If the contractor can maintain safe access, manage odour and dust, and transport waste to licensed facilities without further disruption, the clearance could begin to reduce the environmental and public-health concerns that have affected the community since the illegal dumping was identified.

The site’s history of fire means fire-safety arrangements are likely to remain important throughout the operation. Continued sampling of waste, water and odour may also provide residents and agencies with further information about conditions during removal.

For local people, the key measure of progress will be whether the works lead to the safe removal of waste, the restoration of affected land and a reduction in the disruption caused by the site. The ongoing criminal investigation and the involvement of the Environment Agency indicate that enforcement action may continue separately from the physical clean-up.