Ellison v Ministry of Defence (1997) 81 BLR 101

The defendant constructed bulk fuel installations at Greenham Common airfield. This caused rain water which had accumulated on the airfield to run off and flood neighbouring land. The court held that the construction work was an ordinary use of the land and necessary for the use of the land as an airfield and therefore there was no non-natural use. Also the rain water accumulated naturally and was not artificially kept there. Consequently the defendant was not liable under Rylands v Fletcher.

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