Civil sanctions imposed by the Environment Agency: 1 January 2025 to 30 September 2025
Updated 25 November 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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1. Our approach to applying civil sanctions
1.1 Variable monetary penalties
A variable monetary penalty is a proportionate monetary penalty we may impose for the more serious cases of non-compliance.
Read annex 1 to find out how we calculate a variable monetary penalty.
We will always try to recover the money we have spent on work connected with an offence and imposing a variable monetary penalty. We can serve an enforcement cost recovery notice, which will require the offender to pay the actual cost to the Environment Agency.
This list shows details of variable monetary penalties imposed by the Environment Agency between 1 January 2025 and 30 September 2025. It may include variable monetary penalties we have not published before.
1.2 Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975
Christopher Fishleigh (of Fishleigh Farm Partnership) (reference VMP26)
The penalty was imposed on 3 June 2025 for the amount £625.
The offence was to knowingly cause or permit any liquid or solid matter that is poisonous or injurious to fish, spawn, spawning areas or food of fish to enter waters containing fish – Section 4(1). It relates to a slurry pollution and fish kill incident on the Holebrook tributary of the River Okement at Winkleigh, Exeter, Devon on 25 January 2023.
They also paid Environment Agency costs of £2,564.05
R L Clapp & Sons (Cheesemakers) Limited (reference VMP27)
The penalty was imposed on 3 June 2025 for the amount £1,250.
The offence was to knowingly cause or permit any liquid or solid matter that is poisonous or injurious to fish, spawn, spawning areas or food of fish to enter waters containing fish – Section 4(1). It relates to a slurry pollution and fish kill incident on Coxbridge Brook in Glastonbury, Somerset between 30 March 2021 and 2 April 2021.
They also paid Environment Agency costs of £4,078.54
2. Fixed monetary penalties
A fixed monetary penalty is a monetary penalty we may impose on a business or individual for cases of non-compliance.
The fixed monetary penalty is £300 for businesses and £100 for individuals. Paying 50% of the sum due within 28 days of receiving the notice of intent that the penalty will be imposed will clear legal responsibility for the fixed monetary penalty. Or if representations have been made within the 28 day period but a final notice is served, legal responsibility can still be cleared by paying 50% of the sum due within 28 days of the final notice.
This list shows details of fixed monetary penalties issued by the Environment Agency between 1 January 2025 and 30 September 2025, where payment was made in response to a notice of intent or final notice. It may include fixed monetary penalties we have not published before.
2.1 The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018
Richard Barton, Anthony Barton and June Barton (reference FMP34)
A Notice of Intent was sent on 27 May 2025.
The offence was failure to comply with Regulations 11(1) and 9. It relates to the storage of organic manure in a field at Brook Farm, Uffculme, Devon on or before 25 February 2025.
Richard Barton, Anthony Barton and June Barton discharged liability for the penalty by paying £150.
G A & S M Wainwright and Sons (reference FMP35)
A Notice of Intent was sent on 8 August 2025.
The offence was failure to comply with Regulations 11(1) and 3. It relates to the spreading of manure on agricultural land Upper House Farm and Ollerbrook Farm, Derbyshire on 10 January 2025.
G A & S M Wainwright and Sons discharged liability for the penalty by paying £50.
3. Compliance notices
We may issue a compliance notice on a person requiring them to take action to come back into compliance.
London Underground Limited (reference CN4)
A compliance notice was imposed on 7 October 2019, in relation to an offence under Regulation 13(2)(a) of the Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 (the Regulations), for holding polychlorinated biphenyls on the Tube network in contravention of Regulation 4(1)(b)(i) of the Regulations after 31 December 2000.
A non-compliance penalty notice for £150,000 was served on 10 October 2024 for failing to comply with all the steps specified in the compliance notice by 31 December 2023.
The non-compliance penalty was paid on 7 November 2024 and the compliance notice was deemed to be completed on 13 December 2024.
The company also paid Environment Agency costs of £29,690.