Man fined for cutting down 18 trees in Walsall conservation area

Published By Walsall Advertiser | Posted: August 12, 2016

A WALSALL man who organised the chopping down of 18 trees in a conservation area without being given permission has been fined.

Hussain Miah, 29, of Follyhouse Lane has been fined £7,200 and ordered to pay Walsall Council costs of £2,159.20 after a variety of young and semi-mature trees; including hawthorns, ash, silver birch, sycamore and elm were destroyed between 51 and 53 Follyhouse Lane in the Highgate Conservation Area of Walsall.

Steve Pretty, head of Planning, Engineering and Transportation at Walsall Council, said: “This case could easily have been avoided, but it will hopefully prompt residents to go through the correct procedures and contact our tree officers first before removing trees that are protected by a Tree Preservation Order or situated within a Conservation Area.

“Trees are an important part of our local environment and the council is committed to protecting them through the use of Tree Preservation Orders and will not hesitate to prosecute serious infringements.

“To avoid the risk of prosecution, people can easily check whether there is a Tree Preservation Order in force through a quick telephone call to the council.”

Miah pleaded guilty to the offence at Walsall Magistrates Court earlier this week.

The judge heard that because the trees could not be seen from Follyhouse Lane, he did not think they were ‘protected’ and claimed he was only clearing the trees so his land boundaries could be secured.

In mitigation, it was stated that he had previously applied to the council to remove trees and had no previous convictions, but accepted responsibility for the destruction of 18 trees in a conservation area.

Removing protected trees is an offence contrary to Section 210(1) and 211(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act which carries an unlimited fine.

Under the same act, anyone who prunes a protected tree without consent may be liable to a fine of up to £2,500.
Read more at http://www.walsalladvertiser.co.uk/man-fined-for-cutting-down-18-trees-in-walsall-conservation-area/story-29613795-detail/story.html#yEKRPwPbuOBDcScp.99

Ian Shires

Man fined for cutting down 18 trees in Walsall conservation area

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