Treasure Homes pays out over nursing home septic tank spills
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-30)

The operator of a Bristol nursing home is counting the cost of ignoring repeated warnings about inadequate septic tank discharge for several years.

- Treasure Homes Ltd must pay over £40,000 after repeatedly ignoring pollution and Environment Agency warnings.
- Repeated non-compliance with permit and inadequate infrastructure resulted in avoidable pollution of nearby farm land.
- The company was ordered to pay a local farmer £5,000 compensation for polluting his fields.
Treasure Homes Ltd, who run the Abbots Leigh Nursing Home on Manor Road, Abbots Leigh in Bristol, appeared before Bristol Magistrates on Wednesday 29 October. The company pleaded guilty to two offences and was fined a total of £20,600, ordered to pay costs of £12,481.21 and a statutory surcharge of £2,000.

District Judge Matthews also ordered Treasure Homes Ltd to pay £5,000 compensation to the farmer whose field had been affected by septic tank effluent from the premises.

‘Ignorance is not a defence’

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

There are strict regulations in place to prevent septic tanks like this from polluting the environment, endangering human health, and putting wildlife at risk. Claiming ignorance of the rules is not a defence.

Treasure Homes Ltd and its representatives were fully aware of their obligations but consistently failed to take the required action to address this preventable long-term issue.

This left us with no other alternative but to prosecute and I hope this case acts as a warning to others who mistakenly believe they can ignore the regulations.

Requests to fix repeatedly ignored

The court heard that this prolonged and avoidable environmental incident first started to occur in 2018, when a permit for a groundwater discharge activity was issued to Treasure Homes Ltd, which was later found to be non-compliant following a routine inspection.

Despite numerous communications with Treasure Homes Ltd, it failed to implement the actions required by the Environment Agency to bring the discharge back into compliance.

The problem did not resolve itself, and following COVID restrictions an Environment Agency officer again inspected the site in early 2022 and instructed Treasure Homes Ltd to arrange for various tests to ensure the viability of the septic tank and its discharge, including a definitive test to prove that the septic tank’s discharge was the source of the pollution.

No update, despite requests, was provided by Treasure Homes Ltd and therefore the Environment Agency carried out the test on its behalf and recharged the firm for the work.

On 21 July 2022, dye testing established the track of the polluting material, from the septic tank to the contaminated and boggy area within the neighbouring field, confirming the unauthorised discharge of septic tank effluent.

A few days later, an Environment Agency report was sent to the defendant pointing out the non-compliance with the permit and outlined the actions required to remediate this and to bring it back into compliance. The company did not respond.

On 15 September 2022, an Enforcement Notice was served on the company formalising these actions. This notice was also not complied with.

Treasure Homes Ltd was given an opportunity to defend itself in an interview under caution in May 2024, and again in July 2024. Neither of which it attended.

Guidance on the responsibilities of septic tanks and sewage treatment plants is available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/permits-you-need-for-septic-tanks).

Background

Treasure Homes Ltd was charged with the following offences:

Between 21 July 2022 and 24 April 2024, you, Treasure Homes Ltd, did cause a water discharge activity, otherwise than under or in accordance with an environmental permit, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, namely septic tank effluent, from an underground tank on land at Manor Road, Abbots Leigh, Bristol, into the ground. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

You, Treasure Homes Ltd, failed by the 17 October 2022 to comply with the requirements of a notice requiring information, under Regulation 61(1) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, dated 14 September 2022, requiring the results of a survey or inspection of the sewerage system at Abbots Leigh Nursing Home. Contrary to regulation 38(4) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.