Letter to Enivronment Agency –

I am writing to you on behalf of Highnam Parish Council and the residents of Highnam, Over & Lassington to formally request a clear statement of your organisation’s immediate intentions, strategy, and timeline for stopping the ongoing, spontaneous fires at the massive illegal tipping site located to the rear of Over Farm, off the A40 near Highnam.

As you are well aware, this location has operated as an unauthorised “super site” for years, accumulating tens of thousands of tonnes of commercial, industrial, and potentially hazardous waste. Beyond the severe, systemic environmental vandalism to the local countryside, the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire Canal, and the River Leadon, the site has now escalated into a severe public health hazard.

Deep-seated subterranean combustion and frequent spontaneous fires regularly blanket the surrounding area in thick, toxic smoke. This has repeatedly forced Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to deploy significant emergency resources to suppress fires, while residents have been asked to seal their doors and windows to avoid inhaling hazardous fumes. Living under a  cloud of acrid smoke and toxic fumes is entirely unacceptable and poses an immediate threat to the respiratory health of the community, local wildlife, and visitors to nearby public footpaths.

Despite years of regular lobbying and complaints from Highnam Parish Council, alongside extensive national media exposure, the site continues to smoulder unabated. The standard response that the matter is “under active investigation” no longer suffices given the immediate physical dangers of these ongoing fires.

We therefore request direct answers to the following three points:

1. Fire Mitigation Strategy: What specific, immediate steps is the Environment Agency taking—in coordination with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue—to permanently extinguish the deep-seated fires and halt the spontaneous combustion occurring across these acres of compressed waste?
2. Site Access and Containment: What enforcement powers or physical barriers (such as perimeter concrete blocks or enforcement notices) are being deployed to prevent further vehicles from accessing the area and adding highly combustible materials to the existing heap?
3. Clearance and Remediation Timeline: When will a definitive remediation and clearance plan be executed to remove this hazardous fuel source entirely from our community?

The local community has been incredibly patient, but we cannot continue to live alongside a toxic, active fire hazard. I look forward to your prompt, substantive response detailing your exact action plan.