Ouch. that's gotta hurt..........

[David Humphries]

Not posting this to stir, for all I know members may or may not be involved.

Just thought it may be of interest to some.

 

 

 

 

 

Developer fined £4,500 for illegal tree works

 

 

A company that carried out unauthorised work on a garden oak tree protected by a Tree Preservation Order in (xxxxxxxxxxx), has been fined £4,500 following a successful prosecution by (xxxxxxxxxxx) Borough Council.

 

(xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) entered a guilty plea on behalf of the company at the hearing at (xxxxxxxxxxxx) Magistrates' Court. The firm was also ordered to pay £2,500 costs. The council employed an arboricultural consultant from (xxxxxxxxxx) to examine the tree.

 

Council landscape officer (xxxxxxxx) said neighbours of the house where the tree was damaged provided evidence "because they felt so aggrieved about the damage caused to the tree".

 

"The defence has said that all the way through these proceedings they only removed a few dead and hollow branches from the tree, but the evidence provided by the neighbours disputes that and, most certainly, the works carried out on the tree were not done in accordance with good arboricultural practice."

 

 

 

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[Ian Leach]

About time too, some developers think they can get away with anything. There was one a few mths back where a someone got there builder to cut down a tree in a conservation area tree officer found out and the person got fined 15,000 and ordered to plant 6 semi mature tree within 12mths around the area.

[John Hancock]

.....interesting that the council felt the need to employ arboricultural consultant. Was this to gain a fully independent report or perhaps they didn’t have their own qualified Arborist.

 

Good result though, a picture would be nice bro....

[benedmonds]

I don't think the council in question have their own arboriculturist. I also think it was the developer that was fined not a contractor. To that developer the fine is peanuts.

 

It is interesting to note that the fines in these cases are not split 50:50 to the land owner and contractor and that it's the developer who gets hit with the biggest part of the fine. Not a reason to do unsanctioned works on protected trees, but it is reasuring to note that the tree firm doing works is unlikely to get stung for the sort of money that the developer will.

 

I've had my rights read a couple of times, once felling small stuff in a conservation area and once when a TPO had been put on over the weekend. Also been threatened with court over taking down a dangerous tree, they aint very friendly. It is worrying but makes me feel better knowing that my side of the fine is more likely to be around the £1-2K mark then the £10-20K.

[Jason James Gairn]

David, where did you read this article?

[David Humphries]

David, where did you read this article?

 

I recieve a whole host of useful but at times useless, items of Tree news, this particular one is from the Arboricultural bulletin from Hort Week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[David Humphries]

Tree surgeon fined for illegal chopping

by Christina Taylor

HortWeek.com

13 October 2008

 

 

***********, removed the trees from Bishops Avenue, Northwood, in October last year.

 

However, the oaks were protected by legally binding Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) secured by Three Rivers District Council.

 

According to the Watford Observer, Uxbridge Magistrates Court find ****** £2,000 and ordered him to pay a further £640 in costs to the council - who took the case to court.

 

 

 

 

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[Peter]

£2k doesnt sound like too much for mutiple TPOd oaks?