Havering Council is set to allocate up to £200,000 to address ongoing issues at Arnold's Field, a site formally designated as contaminated land due to the risk of significant harm from smoke caused by fires originating from illegally dumped waste. The decision, made by the Council's Cabinet on August 12, 2026, grants authority to the Strategic Director of Place and the Strategic Director for Resources to use these funds if necessary for remediation works.
The site, located on Launders Lane, has been a persistent source of concern due to illegal dumping and subsequent fires. Approximately 50,000 cubic metres of waste, including hazardous and non-inert material, was illegally dumped between 2010/11 and 2014/15. The primary contaminant linkage identified is smoke pollution arising from fires, both on the surface and subsurface of the land.
Local residents have reported experiencing health impacts due to the smoke pollution. The site has been formally determined as contaminated land due to the significant risk of significant harm by the smoke on the health of humans living locally.
International scientific consensus states that particulate matter, such as that produced by the frequent fires at the site, is harmful to health. Fires causing frequent but short-lived peaks of particulate air pollution are likely to increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. Local data has shown a temporal association between fires occurring at the site and GP attendances by those with pre-existing respiratory conditions in the local population.
A Remediation Notice is currently being prepared to compel the responsible parties to address the smoke pollution. The intention is to report to Cabinet in October 2026 on progress with the Remediation Notice. If the Council needs to undertake 'works in default' under its 'step in' powers due to non-compliance, the estimated costs are up to around £200,000. This estimate allows for potential price rises over the time it might take to reach that point, which could be up to three years.
Previous attempts to secure voluntary remediation from the landowner were unsuccessful. These involved proposals for a cost-effective cement polymer covering (CPC) to be placed on key areas of the site to stop or significantly reduce fires, with the Council agreeing to procure and pay for this work. However, at the final deadline for issuing tender documents, the landowner withheld permission, stating he had an alternative proposal which he wanted the Council to pay for. Although some details of his alternative waste removal
proposal were later supplied, they were insufficient to warrant support from public funds, and despite repeated requests, the necessary details were not provided by May 2026. The landowner also rejected the CPC option and failed to provide sufficient details for his alternative proposal.
Councillor Keith Prince, Leader of the Council, explained that while efforts are being made to expedite the process, legal proceedings could mean that works in default
might not occur for another two to three years, potentially leading to continued fires and harm to health. The report detailed the history of the site, including illegal dumping, fires, and the Council's previous attempts to resolve the issue. The environmental and health implications, including the impact of particulate matter on respiratory and cardiovascular health, were also highlighted.
If the Council needs to step in, the remediation works anticipated, based on the draft Remediation Notice, would require the installation and maintenance of a low-permeability cover system across the relevant Phase 1 treatment area
. This cover system is designed to prevent or significantly limit oxygen ingress to the waste mass below, thereby suppressing combustion and breaking the pathway between the waste source and off-site receptors.
The Cabinet also agreed to delegate authority for exercising Step In
powers and utilising Council funds of up to £200,000 if required. The report noted that the Council has been lobbying government agencies for legislative improvements and financial support to address such sites. The Council will continue to lobby DEFRA, the Environment Agency, and other agencies for improvements in legislation to facilitate swifter pragmatic action by authorities to address similar sites in future.
They are also lobbying to seek support (financial and otherwise) from the Environment Agency, DEFRA and the GLA to address the situation at Arnold's Field.
More information can be found in the Public reports pack and the Decisions from the Cabinet meeting on August 12, 2026.
