Access Restriction Extended at Kent Woodland Due to Illegal Dumping

The prohibition on public entry to a Kent woodland, where an estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste has been unlawfully deposited, has been prolonged until June 2025. According to the Environment Agency (EA), efforts to clear Hoads Woods, situated near Ashford, are scheduled to commence in the coming year. These restriction orders are employed by the agency to seal off Hoads Wood, aiming to deter additional waste deposition. Each order remains in effect for a duration of six months. Folkestone Magistrates Court has issued a fresh restriction order pertaining to Hoads Wood, effective until July. Consequently, any individual who gains access to the site without the EA’s consent or “a reasonable excuse” will be committing a criminal offence. The unlawful deposition of waste on a commercial scale reached its highest point at Hoads Wood last summer, with an estimated 20 to 30 lorries depositing refuse at the location daily. An EA spokesperson stated: “A section of Hoads Wood, near Ashford, where shameless criminals dumped 30,000 tonnes of waste illegally, will remain closed while an investigation continues to bring to court those responsible.“Magistrates have granted the Environment Agency a further six months to restrict unauthorised access to two acres of the woodland in an effort to prevent further dumping.“Anyone entering the land without reasonable excuse or written permission from the Environment Agency will be committing a criminal offence, as will anyone who tampers with the locked gate or the restriction order attached to it.” In November, the EA disclosed that a specialized firm had been contracted for waste removal, and site sampling had already commenced.