At Harlow Magistrates’ Court on 2nd June 2009, Mr Philip Knowles of Bridge Hill, Epping pleaded guilty to 13 offences of wilfully destroying trees on land adjacent to Eppingdene, Ivy Chimneys Road, Epping which is the subject of a Tree Preservation Order made in 1990, without authorisation of Epping Forest District Council. The Magistrates fined Mr Knowles £400 in respect of each tree destroyed, totalling £5,200. He was ordered to pay prosecution costs to the Council of £297.46.The unauthorised works carried out involved the cutting down of 13 mature trees being a mixture of Sycamore, Ash, Oak and Field Maple. On 23 January 2009 a member of the public reported the cutting down of trees to the Council. Officers visited the site immediately and stopped Mr Knowles, who was on site, from carrying out any further work. Philip Knowles admitted that he had carried out the work to the trees. During two interviews under caution, Mr Knowles denied that he was aware that a Tree Preservation Order affected the land and indicated that checks had been carried out on his behalf before he purchased the land. He was fully aware of the law relating to preserved trees. At the court hearing on 2 June, it was admitted that Mr Knowles had bought the land ‘blind’ by auction and that no checks had been carried out prior to his purchase.
In mitigation, the Court was told that Mr Knowles has now replanted part of the land with approximately 100 saplings (whips) of native species with the aid of the local school that are now using the area as an educational wildlife area. He has supplied relevant educational booklets to the school and spent £3,000 to put up a fence separating this area from another field where he plans to graze horses. The Council’s estimate of the value of the trees cut down is £80,350.
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