Land owner must pay more than £65k for tearing down Horton Heath woodland

James Barney from Fair Oak has been hit with the fine after he tore through the wooded area at Scorey's Copse in Horton Heath last year. 

Residents reported being awoken on the morning of April 10 as trees were pulled down and piled up along with rubber tyres. 

The wood was then set alight, prompting councillors in the area to step in and order that all work on the site was stopped. 

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A further order was also made requiring the tree waste to be removed and for the site to be restored to its previous levels.

But now, more than a year later, Eastleigh Borough Council has given out its largest fine to date with Barney ordered to pay £50,000. 

Appearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court in February this year, he pleaded guilty to breaching a Tree Preservation Order. 

He was also ordered to pay the council's costs of £17,841 and a victim surcharge of £190. 

In total he has been made to pay £68,000 for the incident. 

Left to right: Cllr Nicholas Couldrey, Cllr Rupert Kyrle, Cllr Michelle Marsh at Scorey's Copse. (Image: Michelle Marsh)

Environment boss at the council, Cllr Rupert Kyrle, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we have secured a successful prosecution.

"Our planning enforcement and legal teams worked together to bring about this prosecution that sends a strong message that you shouldn’t mess with our trees or we will be after you.”

The prosecution was brought by the Council under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990, as Mr Barney had unlawfully cut down a number of trees including oak, ash, birch, hawthorn and poplar within Scorey’s Copse.

MP for the area, Paul Holmes described Barney's actions as "unacceptable".

He added: "I think it is excellent news that Mr Barney has been fined and that the processes in place can be proven to have worked. 

"Now it is essential that the site can be restored fully to how it was before Mr Barney took his axe to it. 

"I will be pressuring Eastleigh Borough Council and the relevant authorities to make sure this happens."

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