Lancaster farming company fined £8k for breaching slurry spreading regulations
27th January 2025
A farm company and its director have been fined almost £8,000 after failing to ensure that slurry on his land did not cause pollution.
Richard Jonty Mason of Higher Highfield Farm in Slaidburn, Clitheroe, recently appeared at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on behalf of himself and as director of RJ Mason Ltd of Dalton Square in Lancaster.
Both he and the company pleaded guilty to one charge under the Farming Rules for Water legislation of failing to ensure that slurry spreading to agricultural land at Higher Highfield Farm was planned so that it did not cause a risk of pollution.
The company was ordered to pay a fine, costs and a victim surcharge totalling £6,575, while Richard Mason was ordered to pay a total of £1,192.
Jackie Monk, investigating officer from the Environment Agency, said: “This acts as a reminder for landowners and farmers to ensure they follow the correct procedures for spreading safely.
“Spreading slurry to land is common practice, but steps must be taken to protect the environment. We will take action against anyone who breaches the regulations and puts the environment at risk.”
‘Reckless’ actions
The court heard that RJ Mason Ltd farms Higher Highfield Farm, a dairy farm in the heart of the Forest of Bowland, with two unnamed streams crossing the farm, both tributaries of the River Hodder.
Between 15th and 18th October 2021, the company emptied its slurry tank and spread slurry to eight fields.
Slurry spreading is common practice, but care must be taken not to apply it in excess, otherwise it can cause agricultural diffuse pollution – where nutrients wash off the land and into the water – and have a detrimental impact on the environment.
It is a legal requirement to plan applications of slurry so that spreading does not cause a significant risk of pollution.
To calculate the total amount of nutrients that can safely be applied to crop, soil samples must be taken from each field, a crucial step to understand how much additional nutrients can be safely applied to the soil. Only three out of the eight fields had soil tests before the spreading.
An analysis of the company’s slurry spreading plans by the Environment Agency revealed that during 2021 several fields received multiple applications of slurry.
One field, for example, received six applications of slurry between 2nd January and 15th October 2021. The total nitrogen applied to this field in 2021 was 505 kg/hectare, which is more than double the limit set by the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for total nitrogen from organic manure applications, which is 250 kg/ha in any 12-month period.
Other fields received more than 400 kg/ha total nitrogen from organic manure in 2021. Over-application gives rise to a risk of agricultural diffuse pollution.
The Environment Agency concluded the spreading activity at the farm appeared to be the company wanting to dispose of the contents of the slurry storage tank.
The court found the actions of the company, and of Mr Mason as director, were reckless, with the failure to obtain soil samples for five out of eight of the fields leading to a risk of pollution.
Both were of previous good character, and there was evidence they had taken steps to remedy the problem.
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