Destruction of protected river ‘crime against environment’, says wildlife trust

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT) described the damage caused to the River Lugg as a “crime against the environment”, saying it has had “huge repercussions for wildlife downstream”.

The trust said all bankside and riverside habitats have been “completely obliterated” after the river and its banks were “bulldozed, straightened and reprofiled into a sterile canal”.

Wildlife affected by the damage includes crayfish, otters and salmon, lampreys and dragonflies and a host of rare river wildlife, the HWT added.

The trust said the River Lugg would be a “test case” for the Government’s commitment to strengthen wildlife protection.

HWT hopes for a prosecution after it claimed a 16-tonne bulldozer was used by people “well aware” of the fact that the river is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – suggesting they deliberately flouted laws designed to protect wildlife.

West Mercia Police said they are assisting with an investigation into damage caused to the river.

Chief Inspector Edd Williams said: “We received a report on Tuesday December 1 following concerns that work had been carried out on land next to the River Lugg at Kingsland.

“The Environment Agency are leading on this and we will work with them as they look into the concerns raised.”

Commenting on the damge, HWT chief executive Helen Stace said: “A large stretch of one of the UK’s most important rivers, the Lugg, has been devastated, with dire consequences for wildlife and water quality downstream – this is a tragedy.

“The bankside trees are all grubbed out and burnt, the river gravels have been scraped away, and the beautiful meanders of the river have been straightened and reprofiled.

“As former leader of the English Nature rivers team which notified the Lugg as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, I know this river to be one of the most enchanting tree-lined reaches, with immense value for wildlife.

“This is a crime against the environment. Swift action needs to be taken and we want to see the authorities investigate the matter swiftly.

“We expect this case to be dealt with in a serious and robust manner and any resulting prosecution should act as a deterrent to prevent anyone committing this type of crime ever again.

“We will also be calling for restoration of the river to its natural channel.”

HWT said it believes bulldozing part of the river is a contravention of the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 and should have required consent from the Environment Agency, as well as planning consent.

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “The Government has promised to transform our environmental governance as we leave the EU and for the UK to be a world leader in environmental protection.

“Devastating incidents such as this one will be a vital ‘test case’ as we come to the end of the transition period for the Government’s ambition to develop a ‘world-leading’ environment enforcement structure.

“Unfortunately, the Government has so far failed to live up to this standard, with poor resourcing leaving Natural England unable to properly monitor and protect our most important wild places – Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Andrew Nixon, conservation senior manager of HWT, said: “The actions taken on this stretch of the river will have far-reaching consequences, both for this stretch of river and floodplain and further downstream.

“Removing all bankside vegetation and scraping out the riverbed and banks will cause a huge increase in the speed the water moves through the river and increases the flood risk downstream.

“With no stabilising vegetation, any heavy rainfall and rise in river level and speed will mean massive erosion of the banks, with a great amount of soil washed into the river along with agricultural pollutants such as phosphates and pesticides.

“This soil smothers the riverbed for miles, destroying fish spawn and invertebrates that inhabit it.”

HWT said repairing the damage and restoring natural process and wildlife to this landscape will take decades.

Dave Throup, area environment manager for the Environment Agency, said:  “We are aware of reports of damage to the River Lugg, which due to its environmental importance is protected through Site of Special Scientific Interest status.

“We are treating this very seriously along with Natural England and the Forestry Commission, who have taken immediate action in an attempt to prevent any further works at the site.

“We are mounting a wide-ranging investigation with Natural England, the Forestry Commission and other partners.

“We are unable to comment further at this stage.”

Marc Willimont, assistant director for regulatory environment and waste at Herefordshire Council, said: “As a leading member of the Nutrient Management Board, Herefordshire Council is disappointed that such work has been undertaken, particularly if this will result in a negative impact upon the protected environment of this habitat and the levels of phosphate in the water.

“Herefordshire Council has already had officers on site and is assisting the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Forestry commission in their enquiries.

“We will also be considering if there has been a breach in planning or any other related matters for which the council is responsible.”