Trucks are ready to move on the 40ft-high rubbish dump Waste4Fuel.

Over the next 20 weeks 18,000 tonnes of trash will be removed from the Cornwall Drive site in St Paul's Cray to landfill, incinerators and recycling centres across the country.

The Environment Agency (EA) and Bromley Council has set aside £2.4m and £300,000 respectively to purchase and clear the vermin-infested mountain of rubbish in St Paul’s Cray.

MORE: Live coverage of Waste4Fuel dump being cleared in St Paul's Cray

The scandal-ridden recycling plant near the A20 Sidcup By Pass has been plagued by problems over the last five years, including outbreaks of fire and breaching environmental standards.

Figures obtained by News Shopper showed that between 2012 until August 2015 the London Fire Brigade (LFB) spent £914,000 dealing with 233 incidents at the rubbish mountain.

News Shopper:
The hazardous rubbish frequently set itself on fire

Waste4Fuel Ltd. was forced to pay £8,960 after the LFB condemed the company for stacking flammable materials 12 times higher than legal limits.

The company’s licence was revoked more than two years ago, but the towering stink-pile has remained stagnant due to legal disputes.

In August this year, a landmark agreement over the plant’s ownership was reached between the government, the environment agency, the owner of the land and Bromley Council with the official handing over taking place on September 19.

The site, which continues to be a fire risk, has been deemed an “exceptional problem” by the council, one which residents living near the site have described as a “living hell”.

News Shopper:
Annette Rose and Friends of the Earth Bromley

Annette Rose, of Friends of the Earth Bromley, has been campaigning against the dump for the last three years.

She said: “I think it is excellent news.

“The local residents have had a horrendous time and this saga has gone on far too long.

“We hope the clearance will done with the utmost care and that as much of the waste as possible is recycled.

“The future use of the land must be carefully considered and we must ensure that something like this does not happen again in our borough.”

News Shopper:
London Fire Brigade has been repeatedly called out to Waste4Fuel

Due to the dump’s proximity to Ruxley’s Sites of Special Scientific Interest, the group has been pressing the EA to monitor levels of contamination and seepage into the adjacent waterways.

The council has contracted their existing waste and recycling partner, Veolia, to undertake the works with the first trucks set to leave the site today (November 1) at 2.30pm.

Speaking about the trucks moving onto the Bromley site, Julie Foley, the EA's area manager, said: "It has been a difficult journey to get to this point and we are delighted that we are seeing the first load of waste leaving the site.

"We will continue to monitor the site and provide advice to our partner organisations to ensure that the waste is disposed of correctly."

The EA has confirmed legal action against Waste4Fuel ltd. is ongoing. 

If you've been affected by Waste4Fuel and want to have your say email james.parsons@london.newsquest.co.uk