Glamping site soiled with slurry was 'huge worry'

About half a million litres of slurry contaminated a field, forest and a lake

A woman who runs a glamping site said it was a "huge worry" when their lake was contaminated with slurry.

A court recently heard how a farmer contaminated water supplies and polluted a stream when a slurry store he had built collapsed in January 2023.

Derek Dyer, 74, from Yarcombe admitted causing pollution and two charges related to the construction of an illegal slurry store at a field in Combe St Nicholas.

Rosie Lediard, from Somerleaze Meadow Glamping, by the Blackdown Hills, said: "It was a huge worry. Our biggest worry was that somebody could get ill."

Dyer received a community order of 60 hours and was ordered to pay costs of £15,388.40 and a surcharge of £114 at Exeter magistrates on 9 May.

"The majority of the slurry ended up in our lake," Ms Lediard added.

"It's a beautiful area and for our guests, the lake is an integral part of the experience.

"It's usually families and people with dogs, who love jumping in the lake and we have a boat too.

"It was a real worry knowing the lake had been contaminated. We were very concerned that this would have an impact on our business."

Dave Womack from the Enviornment Agency said after surveying what remained from the slurry store, they estimated that about half a million litres of slurry had been kept in there.

'Extensive pollution'

The slurry caused some minor pollution to the watercourse and extensive pollution to the land

"It caused some minor pollution to the watercourse and some extensive pollution to the land," Mr Womack said.

"It's important for a farmer to contain all the slurry they produce, especially in winter. There have been regulations in place since 1991. You can use earth to build them or concrete panels or tin tanks."

In a statement submitted to the Environment Agency, Dyer admitted that he and his son had used the rented field for the store because they "did not have sufficient slurry storage".

He expressed regret for what happened, believing the makeshift store would hold up slurry until it could be spread, but claimed the heavy rain had caused it to collapse.

Ms Lediard said visitor levels had now "reversed back to pre-Covid levels".

"From a business point of view, we are doing very well," she said.

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