Man fined more than £80,000 for chopping down protected oak trees in Warsash

Fareham Borough Council prosecuted Nick Baker, of Brook Lane, Warsash, for felling 16 oak trees on the corner of Thornton Avenue.

He appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates Court this week charged with breaching a tree preservation order.

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The council said he had orchestrated the felling of the trees and that ‘the destruction of these oak trees represents a significant loss to the area and to the ecosystem’.

The magistrates’ bench said that while it was impossible to put a price on the trees, a fine of £7,500 for each of the 16 trees was imposed, equalling £120,000. But given the guilty plea submitted by Baker and his prior good standing in the community, the fine was reduced by a third to £81,415.

Councillor Simon Martin, executive member for planning and development at Fareham Borough Council, said: ‘This is a significant prosecution for the council and we hope that this will act as a deterrent for others who may be tempted to offend.

‘Breaching tree preservation orders is unacceptable, and we will do everything we can to prosecute offenders in Fareham.

‘This was not just one or two trees but 16 in total and they will take hundreds of years to replace, not to mention the damage to the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area.

‘We understand that this is one of the largest fines imposed for a tree perservation order breach and I believe it was entirely warranted.’