Hefty court bill issued after Amblecote trees chopped down (From Stourbridge News)

Hefty court bill issued after Amblecote trees chopped down

11:44am Monday 4th February 2013 in News

A 45 YEAR-OLD Dudley man has been ordered to pay £3,015 by Dudley magistrates for ordering two protected trees to be cut down at a former Amblecote doctor’s surgery.

Appearing in court on January 22, landowner Antonio Andreas, of Middlepark Road, was fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay £15 costs and £1,000 costs, for contravening two tree preservation orders and giving his consent to allow two lime trees to be cut down and wilfully destroyed at Audnam Lodge, Amblecote.

Also appearing in court on the same day was tree feller John Paul Debattista, aged 25, of Boundary Hill, Dudley, who was fined £500 and ordered to pay £15 costs and £250 costs for contravening two tree preservation order and cutting down, uprooting or wilfully destroying two trees on the site.

Councillor Shaukat Ali, the borough’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: "We received complaints about legally protected trees being removed from the former Audnam Lodge doctors surgery on January 24 2012.

“The council prosecuted two people through the magistrates court, who were both found guilty of the offences.

“I hope this serves as a reminder to people that the council will do everything possible to uphold the law and protect important trees in the borough."