09 January 2024 , 19:22
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A historic beauty spot has been turned into a 'disgusting' rubbish dump with waste piled 12ft high.
The Environment Agency (EA) is investigating who dumped the rubbish over around four acres of the woodland area, Hoad's Wood in Kent, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Photographs reveal the area now looks more like a landfill site than a wildlife sanctuary and, despite signs warning against illegal dumping of commercial waste, Hoad's Wood has become a popular spot for fly-tippers.
The EA is teaming up with Kent Police's rural task force, Kent County Council and other agencies to catch those responsible. A resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed his shock at the state of the woods: "Honestly, I have never seen anything like it. It's disgusting. I went to view the four acres of land and it was stacked about 12ft high with rubbish. I think there are hundreds of thousands of tonnes of litter dumped there. Someone needs to be held responsible for this and people need to be made aware of what is happening in our woods."
The plot unsurprisingly failed to sell at auction, with an auctioneer from Clive Emson admitting there's 'a lot of fly-tipping in the area' for which they 'do not know who is responsible'. The auctioneers were also unable to say who currently owns the area being investigated.
A variety of birds breed in the wood, including nightingales, woodcocks, nuthatches, great spotted woodpeckers, and warblers. Moths and butterflies - including two nationally rare species - have also been well documented in the forest.
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The area has been described as a "disgusting rubbish pit" (SWNS)A spokesperson from the Environment Agency confirmed a multi-agency investigation was underway into who was dumping the rubbish at Hoad's Wood, which spans around 200 acres in total. They said: "We are leading the ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal tipping of commercial waste at Hoad's Wood with support from Natural England, Forestry Commission, Kent County Council and Kent Police rural task force. If you are suspicious of any waste crime, you can report it to us on our 24/7 incident number on 0800 807060."
Councillor Yolanda Barker, of the Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council (GCwSPC), said she was 'appalled' to see what had become of the 'cherished' woodland area. Cllr Barker said: "GCwSPC is appalled by this shocking sight. It is disheartening some individuals find it acceptable to mistreat this cherished land. Hoad's Wood should be respected, not tarnished by unscrupulous actions," said a local resident.
"The implications are morally reprehensible, posing a substantial cost to the community and causing profound damage to flora and fauna with lasting effects. We are pleased Kent County Council and the Environment Agency are already working on this but hope that it is removed quickly unlike other areas where it has been left as it is too expensive to remove at taxpayer's expense."
Hoad's Wood is also known as the place where Sarah Everard's body was found in 2021. The county has become somewhat of a hotspot for illegal fly-tipping in recent years, with tonnes of rubbish also having been dumped on Sheppey Beach.
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