Estate used water equal to three Olympic pools during drought, fined nearly £20k for overuse.
Charlotte Townshend owns the Ilchester Estate. This Dorset estate belongs to her. Her wealth is around £489 million. She ranks high on the Sunday Times Rich List. The estate covers 15,000 acres.
The Environment Agency (EA) investigated them. The estate took too much water on purpose. They ignored their water license rules. The estate exceeded its limit. They took nearly 7,500 cubic meters of water. This happened between December 2022 and July 2023.
The estate has a water license. It costs £120 each year. They supply water to homes, offices, and farms. The water comes from the Dorset Frome river.
The estate paid a penalty. It was £19,777.69, plus £8,298.60 in costs. They were warned before about taking too much water. The estate received advice back in 2018. They could apply for taking more water. Instead, they planned to lower water usage. They still took too much annually until 2023.
Melbury House is on the estate. It’s a Grade I listed building. Townshend lives there. She inherited the estate from her mother. Townshend owns more property. She owns at least 20 acres in Holland Park. This is a very wealthy London area.
She also runs Abbotsbury Swannery. It is a managed swan colony. Her ancestors bought it from Henry VIII in 1543. She’s allowed to own swans, like the King.
The Dorset Frome is a chalk stream. Only 200 exist worldwide. Most are in the UK. They provide unique habitats. The water is pure and mineral-rich. Chalk streams face threats. Over-abstraction harms them. Climate change reduces water levels. Pollution hurts these waterways. Invasive species damage wildlife.
Carolyn Lane works for the EA agency. She spoke about chalk streams being sensitive. Licenses have conditions. Companies can’t take unlimited water. Lane said the estate flouted the rules. They did it during a drought. The river suffered potential damage. The environment that supports it suffered too.
A spokesperson for the estate spoke. They regretted the breach. They invested in water infrastructure. They aim to reduce leaks. They now monitor water usage daily. The estate says they are committed. They hope to protect the environment. They want to improve the land’s natural state.