Aldeburgh man fined £5,500 after cutting down tree
It's after he cut down a protected oak tree
A homeowner in Aldeburgh has been fined £5,500 after illegally cutting down a protected tree in his back garden.
62 year old Russell Abrahams admitted breaching a preservation order by felling an oak at his Thorpe Road home last summer.
While he had sought permission to cut back several trees at the site, the tree works application didn't cover the oak tree.
Abrahams admitted breaching the preservation order at magistrates court on June 19.
He was fined £5,500 and ordered to pay £1,302 in prosecution costs and a £2,000 statutory court surcharge.
He will also have to plant a replacement tree.
Councillor Kay Yule, East Suffolk's cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said:
“TPOs exist for the benefit of the public and are put in place to protect trees judged to be of such value that their removal would have a significant negative impact on the local environment.
“I hope this prosecution and the resulting sentence serve as a strong reminder that anyone considering work on protected trees must follow the correct processes.”
Councillor Cllr Rachel Smith-Lyte, East Suffolk's cabinet member for the Environment, said:
“While this wasn’t a case of deliberate negligence, or of a large developer felling dozens of trees at once, it was nonetheless reckless and resulted in the destruction of a healthy, maturing, protected oak tree.
“Our investigation found that the tree showed no signs of any decay that might present an imminent danger to property and justify emergency work permitted within the legislation.
“In any case, we need to change our attitudes towards decaying wood as it is essential to wildlife, in particular species of beetle and their larvae that depend on decaying wood. No insects means no food for many species of bird.”