Miller Homes has been fined for polluting a watercourse at a housing development in Huddersfield.
The Edinburgh-based firm admitted to one environmental offence for an unauthorised discharge of water before Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, 18 May.
The housing developer was fined £100,000 with over £2,901 in costs.
In addition, Flannery Civil Engineering Ltd, of Willow Bridge Way, Castleford, was fined £9,000 by Kirklees Magistrates' Court in March after admitting a similar charge for its involvement in the same incident.
The court heard how water discharge containing silt and sediment ran from a construction site into a watercourse at Lindley Park, Huddersfield in November 2013.
The polluted water was discharged into a nearby watercourse that runs into Grimescar Dyke.
Miller Homes had contracted Flannery to develop four storage lagoons in order to reduce the risk of flooding downstream.
Straw bales were used on the outflow of the lower lagoon to prevent silt from leaving the site.
However due to heavy rainfall, the lower lagoon filled with water, and Flannery removed the straw bales to allow it to drain. With the bales removed, silt water ran directly into the watercourse, affecting water quality.
A member of the public reported the incident to the Environment Agency (EA), which sent an officer who discovered the watercourse was running a dark brown colour, and traced the source back to the development site.
In addition, the officer saw that the straw bales were situated at the side of the lagoon, no longer filtering the discharge. Water entering the top lagoon was clear, but the water leaving the bottom lagoon was cloudy.
In mitigation, Miller Homes said they immediately improved the lagoon system following the incident, adding they are one of a small number of house building companies which have achieved an accreditation for environmental standards.
It added their board of directors had been "apoplectic" that the problem had not been reported to the Environment Agency or even themselves at the time.
An EA spokesperson said: "Environmental permitting laws exist to protect the environment and local communities from harm. This case shows how important it is that construction and other industrial companies adhere to the regulations to ensure that their activities do not pose a risk of pollution.
"Miller Homes should have had more effective water management systems on the construction site to prevent the silty run-off from affecting local watercourses."
(LM)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
29/11/2024
Construction has begun on the initial phase of Spaceport 1, a sub-orbital launch site in the Outer Hebrides. Local contractor, Macaulay Askernish Ltd, has been awarded a contract by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to undertake enabling works at Scolpaig Farm in North Uist. The project, funded by a £947k ...
29/11/2024
David Smith Contractors Ltd, a local firm based in Fraserburgh, has been awarded a multi-million-pound contract to contribute to the construction of the Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) project. The company will undertake civil engineering works at the converter station site near Boddam, Peterhead. ...
29/11/2024
Scotland has unveiled a new plan to become a leading exporter of renewable hydrogen by 2030. The plan, titled 'A Trading Nation: Realising Scotland's Hydrogen Potential – A Plan for Exports', outlines specific actions needed to achieve this goal. The Scottish Government aims to capitalize on the ...
29/11/2024
First Minister John Swinney has welcomed the progress being made in the construction of the new Perth High School during a recent site visit. The new three-storey building, being delivered by Robertson Construction Tayside on behalf of hub East Central Scotland, will accommodate up to 1,600 pupils ...
29/11/2024
Glasgow City Council has given the green light to the sale of four land plots in the city to facilitate various development projects. The sites in question are located in Carmyle, Deaconsbank, Maryhill, and Port Dundas. The disposals are expected to generate significant capital receipts for the ...
29/11/2024
Scottish Water is set to achieve a significant milestone in its woodland creation programme, planting over 500,000 trees by the end of the current planting season in March 2025. This year, the company will plant more than 245 hectares of native woodland across various sites, including Loch ...
28/11/2024
Construction has begun on a new £33 million student accommodation development in Glasgow city centre. The project, a partnership between Artisan Real Estate and Homes for Students, will provide 321 self-contained studio apartments at 292-298 St Vincent Street. The existing office building on the ...
28/11/2024
Springfield Properties has submitted detailed plans to Midlothian Council for the first phase of its new Lingerwood development. The proposed development, located off Stobhill Road near Newtongrange, will eventually include around 1,000 homes. The first phase will comprise 63 homes, ranging from ...
28/11/2024
Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) has called on the Scottish Government to prioritise the needs of rural communities in the upcoming Scottish Budget. Dee Ward, Chair of SLE, has urged the Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, to conduct a robust rural impact assessment for all spending and taxation ...
28/11/2024
Four Scottish electrical apprentices have been praised for their performance in the prestigious SkillELECTRIC competition. John-Ross Campbell, Kalum Low, Milly Smith, and Ewan Thomas, all SETCTT apprentices, represented Scotland in the UK-wide competition, which was held at Oldham College. Milly ...