Ilchester Estate Fined for Exceeding Water Abstraction Limit During Drought

The Ilchester Estate, owned by one of Britain's richest women, Charlotte Townshend, has been fined nearly £28,000 for exceeding its water abstraction limit during a drought. The estate, which spans over 15,000 acres in Dorset, used the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water between December 2022 and July 2023.

The estate has a licence to abstract water from a spring on the headwaters of the Dorset Frome, but it exceeded the limit by nearly 7,500 cubic metres. The Environment Agency (EA) said that the estate "deliberately flouted" the conditions of its licence.

The estate has now paid a penalty of £19,777.69 plus costs of £8,298.60 to the regulator. It has also been advised on how it can apply for an increase in its permitted abstraction levels.

The Dorset Frome is one of only 200 chalk streams in the world, and it provides a unique habitat for wildlife. Chalk streams are a threatened habitat, and they are being hit by over-abstraction and climate change.

"Chalk streams are stunningly beautiful, but ecologically sensitive, watercourses. Where companies or individuals hold licences to take water from them, they cannot ignore the conditions attached and take as much water as they like.

"In this case, the Ilchester Estate not only deliberately flouted the conditions, they did so during a drought, when it is likely that damage will have been done to the river and the surrounding environment it supports."

"Ilchester Estates very much regrets the historic breach of its water extraction licence. Since this has taken place, the Estate has invested in its water infrastructure in order to reduce the amount of leaks and to monitor abstraction now on a daily basis.

"The Estate remains committed to the protection and enhancement of the diverse natural environment under its management.