An Essex farm has donated £25,000 to a wildlife charity after it abstracted water outside the terms of its licence, just days before the area moved into drought status.
Strutt and Parker (Farms) Ltd issued the money to Essex Wildlife Trust as part of an enforcement undertaking offer thought to be one of the largest ever donations in a water resources case.
The farming business, located in Chatham Green, near Chelmsford, abstracted water outside the terms of its licence in May 2019.
The suspected offence came to light following an unannounced inspection of the abstraction point in Beaumont cum Moze, Clacton on Sea, by Environment Agency officers.
Strutt and Parker (Farms) Ltd holds a water abstraction licence, which allows water to be abstracted from Beaumont Brook, downstream of Hamford Water, between 1 November and 31 March.
Due to the extremely dry weather in 2019, the farm manager applied for an extension to the licence until 30 April 2019, which the Environment Agency granted.
However, during an inspection on 10 May 2019, it was found that water was still being abstracted. A notice was attached to the pump to notify the operator that the agency was investigating.
Following this, the farm manager emailed the EA to seek a further ‘extension’ of the licenced abstraction period, in an attempt to legitimise the abstraction that had taken place.
The investigation found that 420 cubic metres of water had been abstracted outside the terms of the licence, but no environmental harm was caused in this instance.
The firm accepted there was a breach of licence but stated that the farm manager had acted ‘unacceptably against clear company policy and procedure’ and had been sanctioned for this.
Strutt and Parker (Farms) Ltd offered an enforcement undertaking, which was accepted due to the company’s co-operation with the case, the lack of environmental harm and the measures taken to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident.
Environment Agency officer Gavin Senior, said: "Enforcement undertakings are voluntary offers made by companies and individuals to make amends for breaching environmental regulations.
"When appropriate, they allow a better resolution for the environment than a prosecution as they require action to put things right in a way that directly benefits the environment and local communities."
The money donated to Essex Wildlife Trust will go toward wetland restorations at Fobbing Marsh and Blue House Farm, and a nature nursery at Abbots Hall Farm.
