A legal claim potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds has launched seeking to compensate people living near River Wye for pollution allegedly caused by poultry farms.
Launched by law firm Leigh Day, the claim aims to compensate thousands of people living in the catchment likely to have been affected by degradation of the River Wye and its tributaries.
The claim will be brought against Avara Foods, one of the UK’s biggest food producers, alleging that "industrial scale chicken farming in the catchment area is polluting the River Wye and surrounding land".
According to Leigh Day, evidence shows the operations of Avara Foods to supply UK supermarkets "has been the overwhelming cause of phosphorous pollution which is damaging the River Wye".
The law firm will argue that Avara is "responsible for the damage that has already been caused" and should clean up the river and the surrounding land.
Avara should also "pay hundreds of millions of pounds to people and businesses whose lives, livelihoods and enjoyment of the area has been impacted because of the effects of pollution".
The legal claim will also look to prevent the food company from polluting the river further if it doesn’t carry out its pledge.
People who can join the legal action will have a claim alleging private and public nuisance, and they must live in a 4,000 sq km area in Powys, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.
They will be people whose land and property surrounds the River Wye, with Leigh Day saying this could be potentially thousands of claimants.
And people who belong to the community surrounding the Wye can also join the claim, and this could be potentially tens of thousands of claimants.
Avara Foods says it is committed to playing its part in the restoration of the River Wye “by taking accountability for the poultry manure that originates from it supply chain... but reversing the decline of the river is beyond the means of any single organisation”.
The civil claim, which is being supported by charity River Action, is being handled by a team led by Leigh Day partner Oliver Holland.
Mr Holland said: “We consider that the significant decline in the health of the River Wye over the last few years is clearly linked to the significant increase in intensive poultry farming in the main brought about by Avara Foods.
"The lives and livelihoods of those living in the River Wye area are being significantly impacted only to the benefit of Avara Foods, a subsidiary of US multinational Cargill Plc.
"This destruction of one the UK’s most beautiful natural areas cannot continue, which is why we are bringing this legal action.”
