Notorious Pendle farmer could face jail if animals keep escaping

A notorious Pendle dairy farmer has been given until next month to erect and maintain fences around the land he keeps his cattle on, after Pendle Council took him to court.
Sheep roaming around Colne with John Allisons farm on the hill in the background.Sheep roaming around Colne with John Allisons farm on the hill in the background.
Sheep roaming around Colne with John Allisons farm on the hill in the background.

John Allison, of Hubbs House Farm, Southfield Lane, Colne, was given the order following several incidents in the past few months where around 20 bulls, cows and calves have escaped from his land causing damage to people’s gardens around Oxford Road in Nelson.

Sheep from the farm have also been spotted in Knotts Drive and Knotts Mount, Colne.

Allison has until November 9th to comply.

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“The wandering cattle also caused significant damage on Marsden Park Golf Course,” explained Philip Mousdale, Pendle Council’s corporate director.

“On one occasion part of the course had to be closed due to concerns for people’s safety.

“If John Allison fails to comply with this injunction he will be in contempt of court and faces the possibility of a substantial fine and even imprisonment.”

Allison was also ordered to pay the council’s legal costs of £680.41 during the Burnley County Court hearing.

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“This recent court injunction follows a long back catalogue of offences by John Allison stretching back for over nine years,” said Mr Mousdale.

“And this month the Environment Agency has successfully brought criminal proceedings resulting in the court imposing a fine on John Allison of over £6,500 after he pleaded guilty to fly tipping waste on his land without an environment permit.”

In 2015 Pendle Council prosecuted Allison for burning of waste on his land including tyres and plastic.

He pleaded guilty to two charges of contravening the Clean Air Act and was sentenced to a 12 month conditional discharge.

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Two years earlier Pendle Council successfully used emergency powers to close Allison’s dairy. An inspection by one of their Environmental Health Officers found the dairy and equipment to be in a filthy condition with animal slurry covering the dairy floor in the areas used for processing, bottling and storing milk.

In 2009 Allison pleaded guilty to 14 offences under food hygiene legislation following action by Pendle Council’s Environmental Health Officers.

He also appeared in court in 2015 when he let his premises be used for a near £20,000 cannabis factory has walked free from court. He told police he had allowed somebody else to cultivate the drugs in his two bedrooms because he was going to get paid £2,000.