Housebuilding firm Taylor Wimpey has been fined £488,772 for failing to prevent numerous incidents which led to the pollution of a river in Pontypool. The construction company was found guilty of a charge relating to breaches in Environmental Permitting Regulations at Cwmbran Magistrates Court earlier today (Wednesday, May 3)
The multiple incidents were caused by illegal water discharge activities which occurred at the Edlogan Wharf site, situated along Bevan Road in Sebastopol, between January and October, 2021. Inspections carried out by officers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) revealed that the pollutant on each occasion, which affected the River Llwyd and its tributaries, had been silt-contaminated water run-off from the site.
NRW officers met on site with representatives of Taylor Wimpey in February, 2021 to discuss the necessary permit application requirements and mitigation measures required in order to minimise the risk of pollution. A warning letter was then served to Taylor Wimpey on February 23 and May 13.
Yet, over the following months, there were a further six confirmed incidents and five unconfirmed ones relating to pollution caused, or allegedly caused, by silty water discharging from the Edlogan Wharf development site. During a follow-up visit on October 29, water samples obtained and analysed by NRW officers revealed a significant increase in the levels of suspended solids (small solid particles which remain in suspension in water) in the watercourse.
This can have a negative impact on fish and other invertebrates, clogging their gills and reducing light penetration in the water. Silty water from construction sites can also contain chemicals - such as fuel and oil from machinery or generators - which can also have a detrimental impact on the environment.
Susan Lenthall, environment officer for Natural Resources Wales said: "Environmental regulations are in place to help protect people, wildlife, our rivers, and land. The construction industry has a duty of care to the communities in which they operate, to ensure the correct controls and safeguards are in place in order to prevent incidents such as these occurring.
"In this case, Taylor Wimpey were made fully aware by NRW officers of the requirements that were needed to install effective silt mitigation methods, that permits were required for discharging treated surface water to a watercourse and that any discharge of contaminated water was an offence under Environmental Permitting Regulations.
"I hope this fine will send out a clear message that environmental legislation is to be taken seriously. We will not hesitate to take appropriate action against those who disregard regulations and jeopardise the natural environment we all know and love.”
To report a pollution incident please call NRW’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0300 065 3000 or report it online here.
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey commented: “Taylor Wimpey has an unwavering commitment to sustainability with a clear strategy to protect and enhance the environment to create a positive contribution to the communities in which we work.”
“We accept today’s outcome and are pleased the judge recognised that Taylor Wimpey takes its responsibilities seriously including our full cooperation with Natural Resources Wales as well as our proactive attempts to manage this isolated issue.”
“Despite our diligent efforts to prevent and remedy surface water issues, including proactive steps based on specialist advice from environmental experts, Taylor Wimpey recognises that these efforts were not sufficient to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions impacting the site. Whilst there is no evidence of actual harm having been caused, Taylor Wimpey expresses genuine regret for the potential environmental problems this issue could have caused.”
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