Overview
- The site in Bickershaw holds an estimated 25,000 tonnes of illegal waste, with about 30% vesting to the Duchy in July 2025 after a dissolved company’s land passed under escheat.
- The Duchy says escheat law means it does not assume liabilities for onerous land and states it is prepared to discuss resolving ownership with Wigan Council.
- Wigan Council says any transfer must be weighed against likely remediation costs exceeding the land’s value and says it is working to clear its own affected parcels.
- The Environment Agency says it has opened a major criminal investigation into the tipping and has interviewed individuals under caution.
- Residents report severe health and quality‑of‑life impacts, and a July 2025 blaze at the site took about 10 days to extinguish and disrupted nearby schools and businesses.