Couple are forced to live in garden shed for FOUR years as plans to build dream £370K eco-home are blocked by pollution in a river 12 miles away

Published: 00:47, 8 April 2026 | Updated: 00:47, 8 April 2026 A couple have been forced to live in their shed for the last four years after their plans to build their dream home were blocked by pollution in a river 12 miles away.   Jane Coyle, 64, and her husband Anthony, 67, submitted plans to build the three bedroom eco-property in the village of Edwyn Ralph, Herefordshire, back in 2020. But the project was put on pause amid the council's so-called Lugg Moratorium - a ban on building around the nearby River Lugg to stop it becoming further polluted.  It left the couple stuck living in a tiny 6m (19ft) x 3m (9ft) garden shed next to the site of their proposed 250sqm house until they got the go-ahead.  But officials at Herefordshire County Council refused to grant planning permission for the £370,000 property, which still remains unfinished, until last year.  The pair are now part of the biggest ever environmental lawsuit in the UK, as some of around 4,000 people across a broad area affected by river pollution.  Mr and Mrs Coyle sold their six-bedroom farmhouse in nearby Ross-on-Wye before buying the plot of land for £120,000 in 2018. They had planned to spend a further £250,000 constructing their forever home on the charming woodland site before the work came to a sudden halt.  Jane Coyle, 64, and her husband Anthony, 67, submitted plans to build the three bedroom eco property in the village of Edwyn Ralph, Herefordshire, back in 2020. Pictured: Mrs Coyle outside the shed the couple have been forced to live in But the project was put on pause amid the council's so-called Lugg Moratorium - a ban on building around the nearby River Lugg to stop it becoming further polluted. Pictured: The site of the proposed new home, left, and the shed the couple are living in, right  It left the couple stuck living in a tiny 6m (19ft) x 3m (9ft) garden shed (pictured) next to the site of their proposed 250sqm house until they got the go-ahead 'We are all for protecting water courses but we have been stuck living in our shed through no real fault of our own,' Mrs Coyle said.  'We bought the plot of land off a man who had permission to build a four-bedroom bungalow in 2018 and submitted planning permission for our design in 2020. 'We worked with an architect on the design, which is economically friendly and reflects the woodland setting we're based in, using timber materials.' The moratorium was imposed in 2019 to prevent further nutrient pollution in the River Lugg, after a high level of phosphates was recorded in the water. But the mother-of-three, who works in property sales, said they had no idea such a ban was in place - and were not made aware of it by council officials.   'We were assured by our planning officer it wouldn't take long, around eight weeks, and knew nothing of this moratorium [in] September 2020,' she said. 'I remember someone locally in a similar position saying it might take them seven years before they would be allowed to build. I laughed it off - but they weren't far off. 'The crazy thing is if we had we been a couple of fields away, we would have been ok.  'Houses three quarters of a mile up the road have been getting permission to build all this time. 'So since 2020, we have been stuck in limbo unable to start our build. We moved into a static caravan on the site and then moved into the garden shed in 2022. 'It had been serving as storage for our belongings, as a bit of a cupboard and a workshop but we couldn't face living in the caravan any longer. 'We've now got a log burner in there, it's fully insulated and we have a shower room and kitchen area.  'But when our children come to visit they have to stay in camper vans or teepees. 'They had us on a technicality and we feel really let down as this is people's lives they are playing with. This was supposed to be our forever home.' The couple have not been able to put up a Christmas tree since before the pandemic - and are forced to keep 'all' their 'worldly goods' in a storage unit outside the shed.  They were finally granted planning permission last year after purchasing several thousand pounds worth of 'phosphate credits'.  But officials at Herefordshire County Council refused to grant planning permission for the £370,000 property, which still remains unfinished, until last year. Pictured: A mock-up of the proposed property  The pair are now part of the biggest ever environmental lawsuit in the UK, as some of around 4,000 people across the area affected by the restrictions. Pictured: The unfinished site of the couple's new home, front, and the shed they currently live in, back  The Coyles bought the plot of land (pictured) for £120,000 in 2018. They had planned to spend a further £250,000 constructing their forever home on the charming woodland site before the work came to a sudden halt 'We are all for protecting water courses but we have been stuck living in our shed [pictured] through no real fault of our own,' Mrs Coyle said The moratorium was imposed in 2019 to prevent further nutrient pollution in the River Lugg. But the mother-of-three said they had no idea such a ban was in place. Pictured: The site of their proposed new home  The scheme was set up to help offset the environmental effects of developments around the river and will see the funds used to create a wetlands project. Mrs Coyle said their build, however, has still not been plain sailing since: 'We still have to pay off £7,000 of these phosphate credits before building can start.  'But the amount of phosphate we produce could fit in a test tube while you're watching acres and acres around you being covered in chicken slurry. 'This has been the issue - there are chicken farms all along the Herefordshire-Welsh border and they keep getting permission for more and more chickens. 'This leads to more chicken effluent and slurry being pumped into surrounding farmland. 'New homes are a tiny fraction of the problem and we are part of the legal action which is seeking compensation for what we have endured.' The couple said the delays have resulted in 'astronomical extra costs' - and they keep having to apologise to neighbours for the appearance of the land.  Security concerns about the unfinished nature of the site have also left them unable to leave for extended periods of time. Mrs Coyle said her husband is also currently too unwell to do the work: 'It's a bit of a dumping ground with a digger there at the moment. 'We now face having to pay £400,000-£500,000 on paying a professional builder to do the work we were going to do ourselves years ago,' she said. 'We will be significantly out of pocket.' Legal firm Leigh Day has now filed a claim at the High Court on behalf of around 4,000 people have been affected by 'extensive and widespread' river pollution. Those affected by the Lugg Moratorium are just one subset of the broader group affected by contaminated waterways in three rivers - the Lugg, Wye and Usk.  The firm is taking action against poultry producer Avara Foods Limited and its subsidiary Freemans of Newent Limited, and utility firm Welsh Water. It alleges the river pollution has severely affected local businesses, property values and enjoyment of the area since 2019.  The firms are accused of negligence, causing private and pubic nuisance, and even trespass, where the riverbed on claimants' properties has been affected.  They are seeking 'substantial damages' - but all the companies they are suing deny their allegations.   The lawsuit alleges chicken farms produce 66 per cent of the nutrient pollution in the river - whereas new developments account for less than one per cent. It also claims water run-off from farmland treated with poultry manure, as well as sewage discharges, have led to severe contamination of the waterways. The pair were finally granted planning permission last year after purchasing several thousand pounds worth of 'phosphate credits'. Pictured: Mrs Coyle, on the unfinished site  But the build, Mrs Coyle said, has still not been plain sailing since: 'We still have to pay off £7,000 of these phosphate credits before building can start'. Pictured: The unfinished site, left, and the shed the couple have been living in, right  The couple said the delays have resulted in 'astronomical extra costs' - and they keep having to apologise to neighbours for the appearance of the land (pictured)  Mrs Coyle said her husband is also currently too unwell to do the work: 'It's a bit of a dumping ground with a digger there at the moment'. Pictured: The site  The pollution, from high levels of phosphorous, nitrogen and bacteria, is said to have triggered algal blooms, strong odours, and fish and other wildlife deaths.  And the Lugg Moratorium in particular is said to have blocked the development of around 2,000 homes in the area.  Oliver Holland, partner at Leigh Day, said: 'The concerns of people impacted by the Lugg Moratorium are something we echo, and with the legal claim we will look to hold those allegedly responsible to account.'  The case is the largest of its kind in British history, in terms of the number of claimants, the geographical scale of damage and the total damages claimed. Those who have joined the group legal action all either live or work alongside the rivers or use them regularly for leisure activities like swimming or canoeing.  Lawyers are demanding the court orders a clean-up of the rivers as well as compensation.   Mr Holland said the claim was 'the culmination of an extraordinary effort by local community members and campaign groups to research, monitor and advocate for their rivers'. 'In a context where government and regulators have failed to prevent the degradation of our rivers, the court has become the last avenue for justice,' he added.   The River Wye flows for 155 miles from its source in the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales, along the English border, to the Severn Estuary.  The Lugg is a major tributary of the Wye and runs mainly through Herefordshire.  The Usk flows through the Brecon Beacons and the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site before reaching the Bristol Channel at Newport.  All three rivers are protected due to the array of rare wildlife which call them home, from otters, to freshwater pearl mussels, to the Atlantic salmon.  Wildlife filmmaker and lead claimant, Justine Evans, said she has witnessed a 'stark decline' in the condition of the Wye in recent years, according to the BBC.  The once clear waters, she said, have turned murky and slimy: 'It's horrible to think what has happened to the wildlife it is home to.'  Former Olympic swimmer Roland Lee moved to live near the river so he could go open-water swimming.  'But now I'd actually go as far as to warn people against going in,' he said.  Another claimant, Gino Parisi, from Raglan, Monmouthshire, said he was worried about the state of the once 'beautiful' River Usk, which he grew up near.  Its waters have now become dirty, cloudy and foamy, he said - leaving him unwilling to swim in the river anymore, over concerns for his health.  Environmental campaigners lost a high-profile lawsuit against the British government over pollution in the Wye in 2024.  Ministers in Westminster and Cardiff Bay have since set up a joint £1million fund to investigate the sources of contamination in the river.   A Welsh Water spokesperson said as a not-for-profit company, the amount it can charge for services is regulated and this limits funds for infrastructure investment. 'In the past five years we have delivered £70million of investment to improve our sites on the Wye River,' they said, adding this was done ahead of regulators' targets.  The spokesperson also said £33million of funding had been given to making improvements along the River Usk.   They continued: 'Unfortunately, the water pollution caused by other sectors during this period has increased significantly, reducing the overall impact of the water quality improvements we have achieved.' They said they intend to defend the case 'robustly'. A spokesperson for Avara said the company has 'done more than any other poultry business to respond to concerns and to support efforts to develop understanding on the complex subject of river health'. They said there are 'no scientific studies, or data, that identifies Avara Foods or even our wider supply chain as a cause of the river's condition'.  The spokesperson added academic studies have highlighted other contributing factors unrelated to Avara. They continued: 'No manure is stored or spread on poultry units that supply Avara Foods and where poultry manure is used as fertiliser, it is for other produce in other agricultural sectors.' The firm said individual farmers are responsible for how nutrients are used in their arable operations and for compliance with the regulations governing its use. The company, which said it employs around 1,500 people in the Wye area, insisted it shares concerns about the condition of the river.  But it said its poultry is produced 'to standards that are amongst the highest in the world'. 'The focus instead needs to be on solutions that will improve the health of the river, addressing all forms of pollution and the effects of climate change, and for action to be taken accordingly,' it said. Herefordshire County Council have been approached for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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