Defra ‘The Government and it’s Agencies – The Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, & Natural England  have joined forces to investigate the destruction of 1.5 miles of the protected river Lugg.

Extensive damage reported on Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) area of River Lugg in Herefordshire. Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission mount joint investigation into damage reported on SSSI area of the River Lugg in Herefordshire. Legal notices were served and officers have attended the site to gather evidence.

Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission have joined forces to investigate a series of unconsented works on the river Lugg at Kingsland in Herefordshire. The area has SSSI status due to its environmental importance.

With the support of West Mercia police, officers from Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission came together on the scene last week with officers from Herefordshire Council, to investigate and seek formal evidence for the alleged offences.

A legal notice requiring the works to stop immediately was served on the landowner by Natural England last week, while the Forestry Commission issued a stop letter requiring an end to any further felling work. The Environment Agency also requested no further works to be carried out on the river last week.’ Click here to read more

Before: A bulldozer in the Lugg – before the destruction  Image Hereford Times

After: Banks reshaped and trees removed   image ITV

BUT: A series of questions is starting to emerge from this incident, on why it took so long for agencies to respond and to deal with why the land owner thought he had the green light to proceed.

Guardian: Environment Agency faces questions over works on protected river

Local wildlife trust says work has devastated Herefordshire river but landowner says EA asked him to do it. Environment agency officials were under pressure on Monday to explain exactly what consent they gave to carry out extensive work on the banks of a protected river in England.

Officials from the EA, Natural England and the Forestry Commission moved in last week to stop the work along the River Lugg outside Kingsland, near Leominster in Herefordshire.

The officials – along with the police – issued a stop notice to the landowner, John Price, to halt the works, which the local wildlife trust said had devastated the river and would have dire consequences for wildlife and water quality.

The EA said a legal notice requiring the works to stop immediately was served on the landowner by Natural England earlier last week, the Forestry Commission issued a stop letter requiring an end to any further felling work and the Environment Agency requested no further works to be carried out on the river.

But the landowner Price, a potato and cattle farmer, has insisted that he was asked to do the work by the EA to try to tackle flooding in the area.

On Monday the local parish council told the Guardian it had been in discussion with the EA since July about tackling the flooding in the area. EA officials had attended parish council meetings and walked the site in September. Click here to read more