LAWYERS involved in bringing court action against alleged polluters of the River Wye are holding a number of ‘speak up’ to establish how local communities have been affected.  

Leigh Day lawyers will use these Speak Up events to meet with the communities affected by pollution of the River Wye, hear about their experiences and provide more information about the legal action against food producers Avara Foods and its parent company Cargill PLC.

The community legal action is arguing that the impact of intensive poultry farming in the Wye area by Avara Foods - who have a poultry production hub in Hereford – and parent company Cargill PLC has created excess phosphorus that is the leading cause of pollution in the Wye and its tributaries, affecting the wildlife, local businesses and recreation.

People who’ve already been part of the legal action along with local activists and campaigners will be giving talks at these events.

The Leigh Day River Wye legal team of Oliver Holland, Celine O’Donovan, and Benji Gourgey state that the upcoming roadshow will allow more people who are interested in joining the claim to meet the team and find out more.

Mr Holland, who is leading the claim, said: “I look forward to meeting more residents of the Wye area and hearing about how the pollution of the river has impacted on them.

“We believe that big corporations are the main cause of the degradation of the River Wye, and that they should be held to account and forced to clean up the river.

“Local residents and businesses should have their rivers restored and be compensated for the losses they may have suffered."

In May, a High Court judge rejected claims that the Environment Agency had failed to enforce its farming rules, in relation to alleged Wye pollution.

But campaign group River Action, who brought the claim, said they felt vindicated as their action had led to improvements in the way the EA enforced the regulations.

• The ‘Speak Up’ events are being held at Goodrich Village Hall on Tuesday, July 9 and at the Left Bank Village, Hereford on Wednesday July 10.

Both events run between 5pm and 8pm, with talks start at 6:30pm.