A closure order designed to stop a range of illegal activities taking place on Green Belt land in St Mary Cray has been granted.
The Council sought the closure order for Waldens Farm in in St Mary Cray as part of ongoing work to stop fly-tipping and unauthorised waste disposal.
The latest legal action is part of the Safer Bromley’s Partnership approach to stop the illegal activities taking place on this privately owned land, which is supported by both the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade. Breaching the closure order is a criminal offence, punishable by up to 51 weeks in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
The news follows the seizure of four vehicles in December at Waldens Farm and the discovery of large mounds of burnt waste concealed in wooded areas at Waldens Farm, which indicated the land was being used as an illegal waste disposal site. A person was arrested at the time the vehicles were seized, with the investigation ongoing.
A Council spokesperson said, “We will take action to stop illegal activity where we come across it. It is a serious and ongoing matter, which we are tackling and closely monitoring as well. We are grateful for the support of the Police with this, with the closure order giving powers of arrest.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, “The Closure Order significantly strengthens the legal powers available, with the powers of arrest. Environmental crime is a serious concern and we are working with the Council and supporting their work at Waldens Farm as part of the Bromley Safer Partnership.”
The closure order, issued under the Anti‑Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, for an initial 3 months means that Waldens Farm is now closed, to prevent ongoing nuisance, disorder, or criminal activity. Entering the site becomes a criminal offence, enabling immediate arrest.
20 concrete access inhibitors were successfully installed at Waldens Farm yesterday, Thursday 26th February 2026, as part of a co-ordinated operation over 2 days with the Metropolitan Police, with Crockenhill Road temporarily closed at the time.
Waldens Farm is made up of approximately 800 small ’leisure plots’, totalling approximately 70 acres, when the former orchards were fragmented and sold in 1974. The Estate was subdivided on a ‘grid-iron’ basis into plots of approximately 10 metres by 30 metres. The closure order does include an area of land known as the fisheries, with owners of individual plots still able to visit their own plot if they can prove they own the plot.
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Editor’s notes: Intention of closure notices were also erected at the site in December detailing the proposed closure of the site in line with section 76 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, due to the “substantial public nuisance and environmental harm resulting from persistent unlawful activities at the site.
For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Head of Public Affairs on 020 8461 7670 or email Andrew.Rogers@bromley.gov.uk