Pubco fined for sewage
Punch has been hit with its third fine in as many years from the Environment Agency.
The latest fine of £4,000 with costs of £1,685 was for failing to treat sewage effluent to the required standard at the George in Finchdean, Hampshire.
It is inexcusable for a company of this size to fall short on its environmental responsibilitiesJim BarkerEnvironment manager
The pub is covered by a consent from the Agency which allows the discharge of secondary treated sewage to run from the site into a nearby ditch via a seasonal soakway but there are certain conditions attached.
On 15 November 2006, an Environment Agency officer found that the site's private sewage treatment works was failing to manage discharge. The suspended solids, which can smother the river bed, were twice the authorised level.
Environment Manager Jim Barker said: "We set limits to consents to make sure that the environment is not put at risk. As the owner of the property, Punch Taverns should have learned from their previous convictions and ensured that any potentially polluting discharge was discharged of safely and met the conditions of their consent.
"The holding company currently owns 7561 pubs across the country and last year made £250m pre tax profits. Punch Tavern's efforts to solve the problem did not go far enough. It is inexcusable for a company of this size to fall short on its environmental responsibilities and other companies should learn from this case that we take all pollution offences seriously and will prosecute."
A spokesperson from Punch Taverns said: "We are taking the matter seriously and have invested in the past to install a suitable treatment system at the pub. It is disappointing that this solution has not proved totally effective and we are taking action to ensure no further pollution takes place."
