PROPERTY TYCOON SUES UNITED UTILITIES OVER £1M FIRE DAMAGE

David Livesey, former chief executive of Connells Group, is pursuing legal action against United Utilities for over £1 million following a fire that destroyed the grouse moor at his 300-acre Lords Hall Estate in Lancashire. The blaze began on United Utilities land at Darwen Moor at approximately 18:30 on 30 May 2020, ignited by two local men using a disposable barbecue. Livesey alleges that United Utilities possessed the staff and equipment to prevent the fire spreading to his neighbouring property but prioritised protecting its own land instead. The case is being heard at London's High Court before Judge Charles Bagot KC.

Livesey purchased the 250-acre Darwen Moor section of his estate in 2017 as a conservation and sporting project. Prior to the fire, he had undertaken extensive restoration work, including planting native vegetation and installing hundreds of dams and pools to rewet the moorland habitat. United Utilities, Britain's largest publicly owned water company, serves approximately seven million people across the northwest and owns around 140,000 acres of land primarily used as water catchment areas. The fire service received a 999 call at 18:46, approximately 16 minutes after the barbecue ignited the dry vegetation.

United Utilities denies responsibility for the damage, contending that it could not have prevented the fire's spread and that Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service held responsibility for managing the blaze. The company seeks to defend itself against Livesey's claim for £1,034,600 in damages. The proceedings will determine liability for the destruction of the moorland and associated conservation efforts.