Roby Mill St Joseph's site

Community Update March 19 2026

Ongoing assessments are underway across several potential pollution sources that may be affecting the local watercourse. Our officers are examining all possible causes to build a full picture of the situation and identify the right regulatory actions.

We remain in regular contact with the landowner, who has been instructed to take all reasonable measures to prevent any pollution. We are closely monitoring their compliance as the investigation continues.

We genuinely appreciate the cooperation, patience, and support shown by local residents. We understand how concerning environmental issues like this can be, and your assistance helps us work more quickly and effectively.

We will provide further updates as soon as we have new, verified information. Protecting the local environment and keeping the community informed remain our top priorities.

Up Holland Pollution Investigation 

Site History

The former St. Joseph’s College site at Roby Mill in Up Holland has a long history of educational use, operating as a seminary until its closure in 1992. Following the closure, the site remained unused and fell into a prolonged period of dereliction throughout the late 1990s, before being sold in 1999. The land has since been subject to various redevelopment proposals and phases of construction and groundworks under planning permissions dating from the early 2000s. These activities have included land reprofiling, importation of materials, and infrastructure works associated with wider redevelopment plans.

Overview

The Environment Agency is investigating reports of significant water pollution affecting the Up Holland area. Based on evidence gathered to date, we believe the pollution is originating from activities at the former St. Joseph’s College site. We recognise the serious impact this is having on local watercourses and the wider local environment, and we are treating this matter as a priority.

Action taken so far

Thank you for taking the time to report issues to our incident hotline.

We started to investigate the pollution reports in early December and carried out repeated visits to Roby Mill area and St Joseph’s College over December and January.  We have instructed the landowners to take action to stop the pollution.  We have been sampling the watercourses around the college to gather evidence of the pollution.  We have also had our ecologists (who specialise in assessing water quality) surveying the impact on aquatic life.

Officers have also spoken directly with some affected residents to understand their concerns.

Samples confirm pollution of the watercourses.  As part of our regulatory response, we are investigating the cause of the pollution and have been clear what action the landowners must take to prevent further environmental harm.

We are investigating why this has happened and will consider any appropriate enforcement action once that investigation is complete.  At this point given the ongoing investigation we can’t provide specific details.

Working with Partners

We are aware that a planning permission is in place for development of the former college site.  We are working closely with West Lancashire Council and Lancashire County Council about any planning requirements.

Next Steps

We will continue water sampling and inspection of watercourse to make sure that pollution prevention actions taken by the landowners are working and that the local watercourse improve.

We will continue to visit the site on-site inspections to track how the pollution is moving and the impact it is having.

We will take regulatory or enforcement action where evidence confirms that environmental regulations have been breached.

We will provide further community updates will be provided as our assessments progress and keep Ashley Dalton MP updated

How You Can Help

If you notice pollution, unusual odours, discharges, or changes in water quality, please report them to our 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60.

Photographs, locations, and times of incidents are particularly useful.