This data is a national historic landfill dataset that defines the location of and provides specific attributes for known historic landfill sites. An historic landfill is a site where there is no environmental permit in force. The Environment Agency is not the regulator for historic landfills. The dataset includes sites that existed before landfills were regulated. Much of this pre-licensing data was derived from a national survey in the early 1990s so it may be incomplete. It also includes sites that were licensed (permitted) where that licence is no longer in force, in accordance with the legislation at the time. The Historic Landfill dataset includes information that is held by either the local authority or the Environment Agency. Where sites were licensed, there are name and address fields, licensee and operator information, licence issue and surrender dates, first and last input dates and waste types, together with some historical comments. Where an attribute is incomplete, that detail is not available.
The quality and completeness of data is variable depending on how old a site is.
This extract is updated twice yearly in Microsoft Excel format. Individual polygon shape files are also available in the Historic Landfill dataset. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved.
