Farm owners fined over 'Stoulton Stink' after council wins High Court appeal

The owners of a farm responsible for a smell known as the 'Stoulton Stink' have been sentenced this month, after a district council successfully appealed in the summer to the High Court.

Wychavon District Council had appealed after Mr and Mrs Rodenhurst, the owners of Wadborough Park Farm at the time of the offences, were found not guilty in the magistrates' court in December 2015.

The defendants had been accused of breaching planning enforcement notices in relation to unauthorised buildings and other structures on land at the farm, that the council said "were not only erected without the proper consents, but that contributed to the smell".

The High Court upheld the appeal on 1 July 2016. The case was returned to Worcester Magistrates' Court.

Guilty convictions in relation to all eight offences (four for each defendant) were formally registered this month. Fines totalling £8,000 for failure to comply with enforcement notices were also set. The defendants were ordered to pay the council’s costs.

Wychavon said the smell had blighted communities in and around Stoulton since 2012 and was tackled in conjunction with Worcestershire Regulatory Services and the Environment Agency.

The owners of Wadborough Park Farm were issued with abatement orders, as well as planning enforcement notices back in 2012, in a bid to stop the problems.

Cllr Paul Middlebrough, former leader of Wychavon and local member, said “This is a great result and we’re very pleased with the outcome. The planning enforcement team at Wychavon have worked really hard to protect the village from these awful smells in Stoulton as well the basic flouting of planning regulations.

“I would also like to personally thank the residents in the village and surrounding areas for their support. Their efforts to report problems to us helped us gather vital evidence that have helped get this result. We’re hopeful that this sentencing will send a strong message that failure to comply with enforcement action will not be tolerated.”