A farmer who used his machinery to, he claims, prevent locals’ homes from being flooded is facing legal action from government environment agencies.
Natural England and the Environment Agency announced on Wednesday that they will be taking legal action against farmer John Price who removed a mile stretch of trees and bushes along the River Lugg and dredged its bed with a digger in late 2020.
The 67-year-old farmer claimed he acted in an effort to prevent further flooding in local homes, which had been badly damaged when the river had previously burst its banks, but the two government agencies have not accepted this excuse. The state maintains the area had been “decimated” causing a “devastating” effect on local wildlife and people, with Natural England claiming that Price’s actions destroyed “the habitats of iconic wildlife such as otters, kingfisher and salmon”.
While Price does own the land on either side of the river, in order to remove trees and make other significant changes to the area — even if to prevent major damage to property, such as in the case of a flood — he needs to seek special permissions as the land is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Daily Mail reports.
Price, who admits to removing the vegetation has insisted that he has the support from local councillors and residents, said he had done a service for the local community as he carried out the work for free.
The veteran farmer has maintained that he has “always looked after the river”, and “no one knows this river better” than he does.
The Daily Telegraph cites his remarks on his long-standing understanding of the river as:
I’m a Herefordshire farmer and have lived at Hay Farm and was born here… I have never moved and have watched this river all my life and no one knows this river better than myself.
I have always looked after the river. I was asked to stop the erosion because I’m the landowner so I’m responsible for the river.
It was up to the Environmental Agency to look after these rivers but they don’t do any work and haven’t got any money to do the work because they spend it all on clipboards… I have not pushed any trees out and I haven’t knocked any trees down I have only cleared what ones came down in the flood.
Herefordshire Councillor Sebastian Bowen, from the True Independents Party, has said as a consequence of Price’s actions, “the bridge has more capacity now and those houses have not been flooded. The reality is it is much improved. People have been quite impressed with what has been done. People have stopped and said it was a good job that has been done”.
While the legality of Price’s actions will now be determined, his bulldozing of the river bank may have prevented flooding, as before the work was carried out homes in the area were flooded by Storm Dennis, but no flooding occurred after Price removed the vegetation when Storm Christoph hit the area in January 2021.
Despite this, the Environment Agency is reportedly seeking charges including: ‘failing to take reasonable precautions to prevent agricultural pollution’ and ‘wilfully disturbing spawn or spawning fish’.
While charges from Natural England include: ‘modifying the watercourse and natural features’, ‘using vehicles to disturb species of interest’ and ‘destroying flora and fauna’.
Prior to the year 2000, farmers, local governments, and others were able to prevent flooding by dredging rivers, but this was largely prohibited after the introduction of the European Water Framework Directive, which prevents certain rivers and habitats from being dredged.
Farmers and flooding victims alike have blamed the rise in flooding on the lack of dredging, which they allege has caused massive damage to houses and infrastructure as well as crops.
“If the Environment Agency had been dredging the river in the way it should have been, this would not have happened”, said Henry Ward, a 2019 flooding victim, who was marooned on his farm in Lincolnshire after the River Barlings Eau, burst its banks.
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