Farmers fined for felling protected trees

A Monmouthshire farmer has been ordered to pay over £2,000 in fines and costs for felling trees in ancient woodland protected by a tree preservation order.

David Willis of Cefn Mawr Farm, Monkswood, Usk, admitted offences under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 after cutting down, uprooting and destroying a large number of protected trees on land that he farms at Goytre, near the Chain Bridge.

The council's Tree Officer, George Weston, went to the site after being alerted by a local resident and found that nearly two acres of woodland on the north-western edge of Graig yr Harris wood were being cleared of trees.  Some trees had been cut down and others uprooted with a bulldozer.

Council officers established that Mr Willis had not made any application for consent to fell trees, either to the Forestry Commission or to Monmouthshire County Council. It was also discovered that about 170 metres of nearby hedgerow had been unlawfully removed.

Mr Willis was fined £1,200 with £1,030 costs for the felling offence at Abertillery Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 8^th June. Reinstatement of the woodland and the hedgerow will be enforced by Monmouthshire County Council. 

After the hearing, Mr Weston said:

"Graig yr Harris wood is ancient, semi-natural woodland and has been protected by a tree preservation order since 1976 because of its importance in the local landscape.

"Ancient semi-natural woodlands are woods that have existed in the landscape since the Middle Ages, from a date of approximately 1600AD, and continuity of a woodland on a site since around this date determines whether it is classed as ancient."

"Many thousands of trees in Monmouthshire are protected by tree preservation orders and conservation areas.

"All countryside hedgerows are also protected by the hedgerow regulations. Anyone wishing to remove a hedgerow or to fell or carry out work to a protected tree must obtain consent from the council.

"In the case of trees, a licence from the Forestry Commission may also be required. The maximum penalty for deliberately destroying a protected tree is a fine of £20,000.

"I would strongly advise anyone thinking of cutting down a tree or removing a countryside hedgerow to check with the council first to see if it is protected. Enquiries can be made to our one-stop-shops or by contacting the Countryside Service on 01633 644850."