Bradford Council has provided an update on a huge illegal waste site on the edge of the city centre.

In July an investigation began into the illegal dumping of waste on a site off Midland Road in Manningham.

Thousands of tonnes of waste had been dumped on the site – between a rail line and Bradford City’s Valley Parade stadium.

The incident attracted national attention, with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham visiting the site to announce a new crackdown on organised waste crime.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham views an illegal rubbish dump beside Bradford City´s Valley Parade stadium, to announce a new crackdown on illegal waste dumping and action to clear up communities as part of his pledge to bring (Image: Scott Heppell/PA Agency)

placeholder image — Prime Minister Andy Burnham views an illegal rubbish dump beside Bradford City´s Valley Parade stadium, to announce a new crackdown on illegal waste dumping and action to clear up communities as part of his pledge to bring (Image: Scott Heppell/PA Agency)

At the time the Government had pledged to help fund the removal of the waste, and this week Bradford Council announced that they can now appoint specialist contractors to clear the site after that funding was confirmed.

In the brief post on Bradford Council’s Facebook page, Councillor Ian Walker, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and communities, said: “Following discussions between the Council, DEFRA and the Environment Agency, Government has committed to funding the clearance of illegal waste on Midland Road.

“The council is now in a position to move forward with a procurement process to appoint specialist contractors to clear the site.

“I am pleased to be taking this important next step towards restoring the area.”

Any appointed contractors will provide estimates on how much it will cost for the waste to be removed.

Clearing the site is likely to be a huge operation, requiring multiple vehicles accessing the rail-side site. Consideration will also need to be given to where the waste will be taken once it is removed from the site.

Residents living near the site have previously raised concerns about the impact of the waste mountain on their community, including environmental issues, unpleasant odours and potential risks to public health.

Visiting the site alongside the PM in August, Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: “These big toxic waste dumps are precisely the problem and because they’re illegal, you don’t actually know what’s in there,”

“You have to do proper surveys so that they can be dealt with in a safe way and often in hot weather, like we’ve had recently, these things can combust and cause toxic fumes.

“So we have to make sure that we deal with them. But we also have to prevent more of them growing.

“Once you clear the site, you have to make certain that it stays cleared.”

The Midland Road site had been identified as one of three illegal waste dumps across England that will be prioritised for clearance under the latest Government initiative, alongside sites in Kent and Surrey.

The Environment Agency is still investigating the incident.