Lancashire farming business fined more than £10k for slurry pollution

The Environment Agency brought the prosecution against E & A Forshaw (Partnership), which operates a dairy farm at Bolton Fold Farm in Alston, Preston.

The case was heard at Lancaster Magistrates' Court on January 7, 2025, where the partnership was sentenced.

The partnership had pleaded guilty in November 2024 to two charges of illegally discharging slurry into Tun Brook, as well as one charge of breaching slurry storage regulations by extending a lagoon too close to the watercourse.

The court imposed a fine of £3,000, ordered the partnership to pay £7,301.70 in costs and levied a £300 victim surcharge.

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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.

“I’d 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.”

The court heard that in November 2019, the partnership reported a breach in pipes used to transfer slurry during land spreading, which led to slurry entering Tun Brook.

Environment Agency officers attended and observed the brook was discoloured.

A follow-up visit two days later confirmed that a clean-up operation was underway and the watercourse had returned to normal.

However, in January 2020, the Environment Agency received another report of pollution at Alston Lane near Longridge.

Officers found discolouration and an agricultural odour in the watercourse, tracing the source to Bolton Fold Farm.

They discovered a hole in the slurry lagoon, with slurry flowing toward Tun Brook.

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While the original lagoon had been built before relevant regulations were introduced, the partnership had extended it without written approval from the Environment Agency.

The extension brought the lagoon within ten metres of the watercourse.

The following day, officers were shown evidence of remedial work undertaken by the farm.

The partnership also stated plans to build a second slurry storage facility, which has since been completed in compliance with advice from the Environment Agency and within legislative requirements.

Pollution incidents can be reported to the Environment Agency on their 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.