GovWire

In a prosecution brought by the Environment Agency, E & A Forshaw (Partnership) which operates a dairy farm at Bolton Fold Farm in Alston, Preston, appeared at Lancaster Magistrates Court on Tuesday 7 January 2025 for sentencing.

The partnership pleaded guilty in November last year to two charges of an illegal discharge of slurry into Tun Brook, and one of breaching regulations around the storage of slurry by extending it too close to the watercourse.

It was fined 3,000 and ordered to pay costs for 7,301.70, as well as a 300 victim surcharge.

Nicki Rushton, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

Regulations on how to construct slurry stores have been in place for more than 30 years. All farmers need to be aware of their legal responsibilities to prevent pollution events like this from happening.

We will take action against anyone who fails to act in accordance with environmental laws. Id advise those who need advice on their slurry structures to contact us, which will ensure their storage facilities are compliant and the environment is properly protected.

Slurry polluted Tun Brook

The court heard that in November 2019 the partnership reported that pipes used to transfer slurry while land spreading had breached and slurry had gone into Tun Brook.

Environment Agency officers attended and found the brook discoloured. A follow up visit to the farm two days later revealed the clean-up operation was underway and the brook was running clear.

Two months later, in January 2020, the Environment Agency received a report of pollution at Alston Lane, near Longridge. Officers attended and found the watercourse discoloured with an odour consistent with agriculture.

They traced the source to Bolton Fold Farm and found a hole in the side of the slurry lagoon with a path of slurry between the lagoon and Tun Brook.

Whilst the slurry lagoon had originally been built before regulations came into force, the partnership subsequently extended the lagoon without written consent from the Environment Agency and it brought it to within 10 metres of a watercourse.

The following day officers were shown remedial work that had taken place. The partnership said it intended to build a second storage facility. This has since been completed following advice from the Environment Agency and within legislative requirements.