I
Ian Cloke
Guest
The owner of a Wiltshire restaurant was yesterday ordered to pay ?34,881 in fines and costs after sewage effluent above its consent level polluted the River Avon. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.
David Roberts, of the Cross Guns Free House Restaurant, Avoncliffe, appeared before North West Wiltshire magistrates in Chippenham yesterday and admitted five pollution offences under the Water Resources Act 1991.
The Cross Guns pub and restaurant at Avoncliffe, near Bradford on Avon, has a sewage treatment plant installed to treat effluent from the premises. This is set in an elevated position in the pub?s riverside gardens and it discharges directly into a water course leading to the River Avon.
The Agency has issued a consent for this discharge which requires a certain quality of effluent, but there have been long term problems with keeping within the guidelines.
The prosecution related to samples taken on 9th January and 6th July 2006 when on each occasion it was found that the discharge significantly exceeded the consent limits.
?This stretch of the river has a high amenity value because it is used by many people. To protect the environment, it is important that those responsible for sewage treatment plants such as that at the Cross Guns Restaurant accept their responsibilities to ensure the consent standards are maintained,? said Laurence Mathew for the Agency.
?On both of these occasions a very polluting effluent was allowed to discharge into the river for several weeks. All this could have been avoided had Mr Roberts managed and maintained the plant properly.?
David Roberts was fined ?34,000 and ordered to pay ?881 costs after pleading guilty to five offences under Section 85 (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991 including breaching the consent to discharge limit.
David Roberts, of the Cross Guns Free House Restaurant, Avoncliffe, appeared before North West Wiltshire magistrates in Chippenham yesterday and admitted five pollution offences under the Water Resources Act 1991.
The Cross Guns pub and restaurant at Avoncliffe, near Bradford on Avon, has a sewage treatment plant installed to treat effluent from the premises. This is set in an elevated position in the pub?s riverside gardens and it discharges directly into a water course leading to the River Avon.
The Agency has issued a consent for this discharge which requires a certain quality of effluent, but there have been long term problems with keeping within the guidelines.
The prosecution related to samples taken on 9th January and 6th July 2006 when on each occasion it was found that the discharge significantly exceeded the consent limits.
?This stretch of the river has a high amenity value because it is used by many people. To protect the environment, it is important that those responsible for sewage treatment plants such as that at the Cross Guns Restaurant accept their responsibilities to ensure the consent standards are maintained,? said Laurence Mathew for the Agency.
?On both of these occasions a very polluting effluent was allowed to discharge into the river for several weeks. All this could have been avoided had Mr Roberts managed and maintained the plant properly.?
David Roberts was fined ?34,000 and ordered to pay ?881 costs after pleading guilty to five offences under Section 85 (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991 including breaching the consent to discharge limit.