Home / Environment / Farm couple's decade-long fight saves rare wetland
Farm couple's decade-long fight saves rare wetland
24 Oct
Summary
- Couple spent 15 years and £1.5m defending rare wetland habitat.
- High court ruled regulators failed to protect Catfield Fen from pollution.
- Legal victories aim to curb regulatory inertia in environmental protection.
Tim and Geli Harris, farmers from Norfolk, have successfully defended the rare wetland of Catfield Fen through a decade-long legal battle. This past month, they secured their third high court victory, with Lady Justice Lieven ruling that Natural England failed in its statutory duty to protect the fen from pollution originating from arable fields.
The couple has invested 15 years and £1.5 million of their personal finances to hold government agencies accountable for safeguarding this internationally important wetland. Their efforts are seen as a crucial step in combating "regulatory inertia" that they believe prevents pollution from being halted on waterways nationwide.
Their previous legal successes include a 2016 public inquiry that addressed groundwater abstraction issues and a 2022 victory compelling the Environment Agency to limit water abstraction near other sensitive Broads sites. Despite these wins, the Harrises remain concerned about declining insect numbers and the ongoing threat to biodiversity.
They advocate for practical solutions such as paid buffer strips for arable farmers and increased regulatory monitoring and compliance. The Harrises express a desire to return to farming and reading but are prepared for further legal challenges if necessary, with their daughter and granddaughter, both lawyers, poised to continue the fight.
