Illegal dump becomes ‘symbol of north-south divide’ at heart of Makerfield byelection
Summary
A large illegal rubbish dump has remained in the village of Bickershaw for over 20 months, posing health and environmental risks to residents and nearby school children. Local people see the dump as a sign of neglect and the ongoing north-south divide in England, and efforts from local politicians to remove the waste have yet to result in cleanup.Key Facts
- The illegal dump contains about 25,000 tonnes of household and trade rubbish.
- It is located in a residential area next to a primary school in Bickershaw.
- The rubbish site caught fire for nine days last summer, causing the school to close.
- The dump first appeared in October 2024 and remains unremoved nearly two years later.
- Residents compare the slow response here to faster cleanup efforts in a similar case in Oxfordshire.
- Outgoing Labour MP Josh Simons campaigned for the Environment Agency to clear the dump.
- The government promised millions of taxpayer money to remove the rubbish, but no cleanup has started yet.
- Reform UK is using the dump issue to criticize the current and past governments and plans national litter cleanup actions.
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