Almost £10,000 worth of fines have been issued after three parties pleaded guilty to removing four trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPO). Newark and Sherwood District Council first discovered the trees, which were located on Appleton Gate, Newark, were felled in August and September 2021.
They say this was without prior consent having been applied from them as the local planning authority - these four trees were all actually protected by TPOs - which is an order made by a local planning authority to protect specific trees, groups of trees or woodlands in the interest of amenity. The four trees were a willow, sycamore, rowan and silver birch.
The council then tried ensure that the perpetrators of this offence were taken to court to be served wit fines. The person engaged to fell the trees, one of the property owners and the business occupying 79 Appleton Gate all pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on March 14. The parties were ordered to pay £2,560.90, £2,500.90 and £45,00.90 respectively, including fines, costs and a victim surcharge.
