Housing developer who felled protected trees fined £5k

Two protected ash trees were cut down and a further ash and two cherry trees were damaged while being lopped and topped, the council said

A housing developer has been fined £5,000 after he cut down protected trees in Warwickshire.

Patrick Hutchinson felled two ash trees and damaged another and two cherry trees in Clifton-upon-Dunsmore in March, Coventry magistrates heard.

A tree protection order (TPO) was put in place after concerns were raised by Rugby Borough Council about the impact of his development.

Mr Hutchinson pleaded guilty to breaching the order.

The order means it is an offence to cut down, uproot, lop or top trees without permission.

The court was told the day after a revised application for the development was submitted, the council was informed by parish councillors a number of trees on the site had been cut down as part of unauthorised work.

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Mr Hutchinson, from Theddingworth, claimed he had "jumped the gun", mistaking discussions between the council and his tree consultant as consent to carry out the work.

He has pledged to replace the trees during landscaping work on his development.

Speaking after the hearing on 17 November, Councillor Jill Simpson-Vince said: "Even basic maintenance of a protected tree requires prior permission from the council and claiming ignorance of a TPO's existence or the extent of the order's protection offers no defence in the eyes of the law."