Halt on construction by River Lugg shuts building firm

Builder Leslie Fancourt had hoped reconstruction work on a disused coach house would sustain his business

A pause on construction near a river in Herefordshire has caused a builder to lose his business, he has claimed.

The county council implemented a halt on developments near the River Lugg in a bid to reduce pollution due to a phosphate issue.

For Leslie Fancourt, his firm ThreeShires Building has had to close after plans to convert a disused coach house in Lugwardine were refused.

"People's livelihoods are at stake," he said.

When he submitted the planning application more than two years ago, Herefordshire County Council had already halted schemes in the Lugg catchment unless they could demonstrate "nutrient neutrality" - that they wouldn't add to river pollution.

The coach house in Lugwardine has not been lived in for many years

Because the coach house had not been lived in for many years, new homes would create "additional flows to the foul sewer", the council said.

"We weren't told about the moratorium at the time, they were secretive about it," Mr Fancourt said, calling the measure "disproportionate" and "a knee-jerk reaction" to a European environmental ruling, which has impacted many English local authorities.

"Builders are in mobile or rented homes waiting to get building, while others have moved out of the county."

'Face bankruptcy'

The Lugwardine project "was to be my swan song", the 67-year-old said. "But there comes a point when you have to say 'enough is enough', to bite the bullet rather than face bankruptcy."

Work to restore the water quality of the River Lugg is under way as it is struggling with high levels of nutrients, mainly phosphates, which affect water quality and eco-balance.

A spokesperson for the local authority said it "has been at the forefront of national efforts to find a local solution that enables some development to continue".

The council introduced a integrated wetlands programme, intended to yield "phosphate credits" for builders last August.

But it is "aware that the demand for these credits is likely to outstrip supply", the council spokesperson said.