Horsham District Council has welcomed the successful conviction of a developer who unlawfully destroyed trees within a woodland habitat supporting protected species, on land adjacent to Cowfold Road in West Grinstead.
In March 2022, the Council’s Planning Enforcement team was alerted to unauthorised tree felling at the site, which was at that time subject to a live planning application proposing a change of use to a holiday park.
Officers attended the site promptly and instructed those carrying out the works to cease activity immediately, as the works had been undertaken without the required Forestry Commission felling licence and outside the planning process.
The woodland was known to support important wildlife, including great crested newts, and ecological considerations had previously been a factor in planning applications for the site being refused in 2018 and 2022.
Following the incident, Horsham District Council worked closely with the police and the Forestry Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the Forestry Act 1967.
The Council supported the investigation by providing evidence and assisting throughout the process.
The case was subsequently brought before Worthing Magistrates’ Court, where the developer pleaded guilty ahead of the hearing and was convicted.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure, Cllr Ruth Fletcher, said: “We take incidents that damage the natural environment extremely seriously, particularly where protected habitats and species may be affected.
Our officers acted quickly to investigate this matter and worked closely with the Forestry Commission to support their prosecution.
“This outcome reinforces the importance of complying with environmental and planning regulations and demonstrates that unlawful actions of this nature will be pursued.”
Horsham District Council remains committed to protecting the District’s natural environment and working in partnership with enforcement bodies to ensure that breaches of environmental legislation are addressed.