The Public Versus the River Polluters
In the fight against rising river pollution by big corporations, legal cases have had to get creative.
On 8 October 2025 nearly 4,000 people joined a claim submitted to the High Court. Described in media coverage as the largest environmental case ever to reach the UK courts, the claim alleges that two chicken producers, Avara Foods and Freemans of Newent, and the sewage company Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, bear the brunt of the responsibility for the polluted state of the rivers Wye and Lugg.
The claimants include people who live, work, and spend their leisure time alongside these rivers. They argue that their ability to enjoy the rivers has been badly affected by pollution in the Wye Valley, caused principally by phosphate runoff from chicken manure used on farms and the release of untreated sewage. In doing so, the claimants are invoking the well-established common law principle of ‘nuisance’: actions which inhibit or interfere with people’s ability to enjoy their own land (‘private’ nuisance) or to live comfortably and peacefully (‘public’ nuisance).
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
