Volunteer Who Cleaned River Roding Faces Up To Two Years in Prison

Environmental attorney Paul Powlesland now faces a possible criminal case after leading volunteers to clear debris from Alders Brook, a tributary of the River Roding in London’s outer suburbs.

The cleanup, organized under the River Roding Trust, removed roughly 200 bags of litter and organic material over ten days, according to a report by the Guardian. Shortly after, the UK’s Environmental Agency issued a notice alleging that Powlesland had undertaken “unpermitted works” in breach of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

The regulator’s letter, seen by the Guardian, suggests the dredging could pose a flood hazard, a claim that could trigger prosecution carrying a maximum sentence of two years in jail, as reported by London News.

Powlesland says he repeatedly asked the agency to address pollution in the Roding, but his appeals were ignored for years. “After decades of overlooking serious environmental violations on the Roding, the Environment Agency finally decided to act,” he told the newspaper, adding that the enforcement appears to target the volunteer group rather than the utility responsible for discharging billions of litres of sewage or the illegal dumping of thousands of tonnes of waste.

Despite the legal threat, Powlesland remains proud of the ecological rebound he helped spark. “The restored stretch of the river is thriving again, wildlife is returning, yet we’re being threatened with prosecution,” he said.