A construction company has been fined and ordered to pay costs totalling more than £10,000 for polluting a stream while building homes in Wales. Llanmoor Development Co Ltd – also known as Llanmoor Homes – based in Talbot Green in Rhondda Cynon Taf polluted the tributary of the Nant Kenfig while allowing construction waste to flow into the watercourse from its Parc Tondu housing estate in Bridgend.
The company pleaded guilty to a charge relating to several illegal water discharges from the site between August 2021 and March 2022 when it first appeared at Cardiff Magistrates Court in August. It emerged during a sentencing hearing on January 2 that the company and its subcontractor were discovered by members of Ogmore Angling Association – a local fishing club – failing to prevent surface water laden with silt and mud from entering the Nant Kenfig tributary which runs into the River Ogmore.
During its investigation into the reports Natural Resources Wales found from its water samples taken downstream of the Tondu site what it described as “very high levels of suspended solids”. Silt pollution can significantly impact the water quality and ecology of rivers and can kill insects, plants and fish as well as reduce spawning and hatching of fish eggs.
At the sentencing hearing the company was fined £4,000 and also ordered to pay costs of £6,280 to Natural Resources Wales and a victim surcharge of £190. A total of £10,470 was ordered to be paid within 28 days.
Fiona Hourahine, operations manager at Natural Resources Wales, said: “Environmental regulations are in place to help protect people and wildlife. Llanmoor Development Co. Limited had a duty under its planning conditions to ensure there were measures in place to prevent contaminated water run-off from impacting nearby streams and rivers.
“The company was aware of the risks and consequences of not installing pollution mitigation initially, and not maintaining the measures introduced properly. We will use all the resources and levers at our disposal to prevent harmful pollution, carrying out more inspections and prosecuting those who commit the most severe or deliberate damage.
“We’d like to thank the Ogmore Angling Association for reporting many of these pollution incidents to us. This allowed us to respond quickly to find the source and collect the evidence we needed for the prosecution.”
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