A FARMER has been successfully prosecuted by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for “reckless” pollution of a two-mile stretch of a stream near Castellau, Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Mr Huw Pritchard of Castellau Fach Farm pleaded guilty to causing silt pollution of the Nant Castellau, which flows into Nant Muchudd, a tributary of the River Ely.
Nant Castellau: Farmer’s unauthorised flood prevention scheme polluted river
Following reports in October 2022 from members of the public of discoloured water in the stream near Castellau Chapel, NRW’s investigation revealed the stream was being polluted by silt caused by construction work near the Nant Castellau on land adjacent to The Croft on Castellau Road.
The court was told that Mr Pritchard was constructing a pond and banks near the stream to try to resolve flooding issues. However, he did not have the necessary permission from NRW and had not put in place pollution prevention measures to stop silt-laden water runoff from entering the watercourse.
High levels of suspended solids in rivers reduce water quality and harm the ecology. They kill most of the insects in the affected stretch and, at very high levels, can also kill fish.
Silt pollution also decreases the level of oxygen in the water and hinders plant growth by reducing the amount of light passing through the water. Siltation can also impact fish spawning grounds by smothering gravel beds and clogging up the spaces between the stones, reducing the spawning and hatching of fish eggs.
At the sentencing hearing in Merthyr Magistrates’ Court on 31 July 2024, Mr Pritchard was fined £250 with a victim surcharge of £100 and ordered to pay NRW costs of £850.
The level of fine for environmental offences is set by the courts and is based on the financial means of the defendants. Mr Pritchard’s solicitor confirmed to the court that he was only making £150 per week as a farmer.
“We’re in a nature emergency so our work to protect our rivers from pollution is more important than ever.
Fiona Hourahine, NRW
Fiona Hourahine, Operations Manager for NRW, continued: “Although Mr Pritchard was cooperative during our investigation, the construction work he carried out so close to the stream without our permission or any mitigation measures in place to protect the stream was reckless.
“We will not hesitate to take enforcement action against people whose actions are polluting Wales’ rivers, damaging the environment and harming local wildlife.
“We would like to thank the people who reported the pollution to us through our incident hotline, which gave us the opportunity to act quickly to prevent further pollution.”
Pollution incidents should be reported to NRW by calling its 24-hour incident hotline on 03000 65 3000 or HERE.
