Environment & Climate

Reportedly worst UK PFAS contamination found at former RAF Upper Heyford

BBC News reports that developer-commissioned testing found unacceptable PFAS levels at former RAF Upper Heyford, earmarked for 9,000 homes.

Updated Oct 29, 2026 · 10:23 UTC1 reports

The short version

A report says chemical contamination at the former RAF Upper Heyford base is the worst found in the UK.[BBC News]
Developer-commissioned testing found unacceptable PFAS levels at the site, which is earmarked for 9,000 homes.[BBC News]
The developer says residential soil samples show the area is safe, but independent testing found elevated levels in streams flowing from the base.[BBC News]

Chemical contamination at former RAF Upper Heyford is reported to be the worst found in the UK.[BBC News]
Testing carried out on behalf of developer Dorchester Living found unacceptable levels of PFAS, referred to as forever chemicals.[BBC News]
The former RAF base is earmarked for 9,000 homes.[BBC News]
Dorchester Living chief executive Paul Silver said separate soil samples from residential areas showed the area was safe for use.[BBC News]
The Environment Agency said military sites and airports are hotspots for PFAS used in firefighting foams.[BBC News]
Independent testing by Gallos Brook Environmental Group found elevated chemical levels in more than a dozen streams flowing from beneath the base.[BBC News]

The developer's soil results and the independent stream testing point in different directions on safety, and the reporting does not resolve this conflict.[BBC News]
The worst-in-UK ranking comes from a report and is not independently confirmed in the reporting.[BBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.