Norfolk couple wins third court battle to save wetland — SkimNews
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- Tim and Geli Harris spent 15 years and £1.5m of their own money to secure a third legal victory, compelling Natural England to act on nitrate and phosphate pollution harming Catfield Fen.
- Natural England failed in its statutory duty to protect Catfield Fen, the high court ruled, citing 'regulatory inertia' and a clear need for immediate intervention to stop agricultural runoff.
- Lady Justice Lieven found the cause of pollution to be 'the most basic level of common sense,' criticizing the conservation body’s inaction since the Harrises first reported it in 2021.
- Catfield Fen, a special area of conservation in the Broads national park, hosts 2,500 species including rare swallowtail butterflies and bittern, and requires precise water and nutrient conditions to survive.
- Tim and Geli Harris previously won two major environmental rulings in 2016 and 2022, limiting groundwater abstraction by water companies and farmers near the Broads’ nature-rich sites.
- The Broads Authority is urged by the Harrises to take stronger action against pollution, though they remain concerned about declining insect numbers despite recent improvements in water levels.
Why it matters: The ruling forces a government conservation body to act on long-ignored pollution, setting a precedent that could empower other citizens to challenge regulatory inaction. With £1.5m and 15 years already invested, the Harrises’ persistence highlights a systemic gap in environmental enforcement that risks being filled only through costly private litigation.
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