Bromsgrove firm fails to complete safety work on reservoir

At Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, October 8, Blue Lagoon Heritage Ltd, of Old Marlbrook Quarry, Alvechurch Highway, Lydiate Ash, Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued under the Reservoirs Act 1975. 

This required the company to complete essential maintenance and construction works in the interests of public safety. 

The court heard that a notice was served on the company by the Environment Agency's National Reservoir Safety Team in May 2021 to carry out safety measures under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer. 

But by October 2021, the company had failed to carry out the work and weekly safety checks by Environment Agency officers were started. 

In June 2022, the Environment Agency intervened to protect public safety, commissioning contractors to inspect and free the outlet valve. 

This allowed levels in the reservoir to be managed and maintained at 5.25m below the maximum water level to significantly reduce its risk of failure. 

In the continued absence of adequate management by the company, the Environment Agency has since been conducting regular site visits and engineer safety checks to manage the risk. 

Following the court case, the Environment Agency said the company was ordered to pay fines and costs of £5,445. 

The reservoir spillway which was not maintained (Image: Environment Agency) Karl Hunter, enforcement advisor for the Environment Agency's National Reservoir Safety Team, said: "The director and owners of Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited failed to respond to advice and enforcement notices to improve the unacceptable and unsafe condition of the reservoir. 

"This failure to comply came despite repeated site inspections and warnings from Environment Agency officers and independent expert engineers. 

"This caused unacceptable risks to local residents and businesses in the village of Belmont and surrounding areas downstream from the reservoir. 

"The owners of all large raised reservoirs are regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 by the Environment Agency. 

"The act requires owners to maintain their reservoirs in full compliance with safety recommendations set periodically by independent reservoir engineers. 

"Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited took ownership of Ward's Reservoir in 2019 and has consistently failed in its legal duty to adequately protect the safety of the local community. 

"We will continue to work to tackle inadequate maintenance of reservoirs which puts lives at risk. We are committed to ensuring that reservoir safety standards are adhered to."