High Court Rules Natural England Failed to Protect Catfield Fen
Farmers Tim and Geli Harris won a High Court ruling against Natural England for failing to protect the Catfield Fen wetland from pollution.
High Court judge Lady Justice Lieven ruled that Natural England failed its statutory duty to protect Catfield Fen from pollution caused by nitrates and phosphates washing into the wetland from arable fields. The judge described the cause of the pollution as the most basic level of common sense and criticized the agency for its inaction.
This ruling marks the third major legal victory for farmers Tim and Geli Harris, who have spent 15 years and 1.5 million pounds fighting for the protection of the Norfolk Broads. Their previous successes include a 2016 public inquiry regarding groundwater abstraction and a 2022 case that forced the Environment Agency to limit water abstraction near nature-rich sites.
Natural England accepted the verdict but declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings. The court is expected to issue further rulings detailing the specific actions the agency must now take to halt the pollution of the internationally important wetland.
