Man sentenced for failing to remove unlawful buildings in Wiltshire woodland
Wiltshire Council's taken action at Quarry Woods in Box
A man's been given a suspended prison sentence for failing to removed some unlawful buildings from a Wiltshire woodland.
The Council took action against Stephen Windsor, who owns Quarry Woods in Box.
He's been found guilty at Bristol Crown Court of knowingly breaching a High Court injunction to take down a wooden jetty platform.
It now has to be removed by April 30th, or Windsor will face 21 days in jail.
He's also been ordered to pay Wiltshire Council's costs of £10,000.
Back in February 2023 at Salisbury Magistrates Court, Windsor had been found guilty of failing to comply with an enforcement notice to permanently demolish the buildings and remove the associated materials.
He then appealed against the decision at Salisbury Crown Court but lost the appeal in July 2023 and was ordered to pay the council's full costs of £1,700.
The owner still failed to comply with the enforcement notice, and so the council sought a High Court injunction to ensure the demolition of the buildings in April 2024.
While he did successfully remove a wooden toilet block by a deadline set for May 2024, the wooden jetty platform wasn't taken down, so the Council then took this further action.
Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “This sentence underlines our firm stance on unauthorised buildings in Wiltshire.
“It’s unfortunate that the case has got to this stage, but I’d like to commend the persistence and dedication of our Planning Enforcement team in pursuing this case.
"Although the structures may be small, they were built without permission in highly protected deciduous woodlands. The site holds multiple designations, including a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Wiltshire Greenbelt, and a Special Area of Conservation. It also serves as a critical habitat for ten percent of the UK's greater horseshoe bat population, one of our rarest species. Wiltshire Council has a legal duty to protect these spaces and uphold planning law.
"Our message is clear: unauthorised building will not be tolerated in Wiltshire and we will use all available legal powers to enforce planning regulations.”