A derelict Essex railway station has reportedly been swamped by fly-tippers, with locals condemning a five-foot-high “wall” of dumped waste stretching around 75 metres
Historic Felsted railway station in in Little Dunmow, Essex(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
Fly-tippers have dumped a five-foot wall of rubbish at an abandoned railway station causing an “abhorrent mess”. Felstead Railway Station near Dunmow in Essex has become derelict after closing in 1964.
It has been surrounded by piles of mattresses, sofas, signposts and other household items, which now stretch for at least 75 metres. Locals are furious. Cyclist Aiden Kelly, 54, said while it has been a problem for a while, it’s getting worse.
The site is currently for sale and marketed by Auction House East Anglia at £700,000. Permission has been granted for eight homes on the site, reports claim.
Aiden, from Braintree, often cycles along the Flitch Way, part of which is made up of the old track bed from the disused railway line.
The historic railway station has become overrun by fly tipping(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
“It’s just become derelict”, he said, of the former station. “It’s been used recently as a fly tipping site.”
He believes that the station may have become known as a place for fly tippers to dump their rubbish. “Rayne Station is the same type of building and it’s got a use as a café,” he said.
“It’s a shame Felsted Station is forgotten about. It’s very sad to see it in that state.”
It has become an unofficial rubbish dump(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
Locals online said it was “abhorrent to see this mess” around “what was, and could still be, a beautiful historic building”. A spokesman for Uttlesford Council said: “The preferred approach is the sale of the site with conditions requiring it to be cleared and secured within a short timeframe, with safeguards allowing the council to step in if this does not happen.
“If the sale completes, the site will be cleared within three weeks, and we will work alongside the new owners to secure it and deter further fly-tipping. If it does not sell, we will take direct action to clear and secure the site.
“We remain committed to resolving this matter and preventing further harm to the area.” Fly-tipping is increasingly seen as a major UK problem, driven by rising disposal costs, organised waste crime and limited enforcement, the Daily Star previously reported.
There are piles of old furniture, fridges and mattresses stretching for more than 80 metres(Image: James Linsell Clark / SWNS)
Government figures show councils in England dealt with 1.26 million incidents in 2024/25, a 9% rise on the previous year.
Analysts say higher landfill taxes and fees can push households and firms to dump waste illegally, while “rogue traders” and so-called “man-and-van” operators, estimated to be linked to around 40% of cases, may charge customers for collection but then tip rubbish in rural areas or lay-bys to maximise profit.
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