Co. Down fisherman Geoffrey Chambers (63) of Moneydarragh Road in Annalong was fined a total of £2,500 for sowing and disturbing uncultivated land. Chambers was fined today (June 21) at Newry Magistrates’ Court for one offence under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007.

Chambers had failed to comply with a Reinstatement Notice to return a field at Mill Road, Mullartown, Annalong, back to "good environmental condition".

A Reinstatement Notice on the lands at Mill Road in Mullartown, Annalong had been issued to Chambers in 2018 to return the field to a good environmental condition after he had disturbed uncultivated semi-natural grasslands, scrub and wet heath moorland. In 2018 and 2019, it was discovered that instead of implementing the Reinstatement Notice, Chambers had conducted works in contravention of the Reinstatement Notice requirements:
  • Sowing out unpermitted clover and grasses in contravention of Reinstatement Notice requirements;
  • Applying fertiliser, lime and slurry to the field in contravention of Reinstatement Notice requirements.
The case initially arose from reports from a member of the public.

Regulations on uncultivated land

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 as amended, require the department to assess the potential environmental impact of uncultivated land projects and restructuring projects where they meet or are greater than thresholds as laid out in the Regulations. Uncultivated land projects include works to improve the agricultural productivity of lands that are defined as ‘uncultivated lands’ or that are semi-natural areas.
COURT DAERA