Developers cleared of vandalising trees at Sandbanks (From Thisisdorset)
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Developers cleared of vandalising trees at Sandbanks
1:00pm Friday 31st August 2012 in Latest By Julie Magee
SLOW DEATH: Jane Stewart and Andy Dearing from Poole planning enforcement on the Banks Road site in Poole where the protected trees were irreversibly damaged illegally
TWO property developers found guilty of “the worst environmental crime of its kind” in Poole have had their convictions overturned.
Alistair Collier, 42, from Forest Lodge, Wareham, and Harvey Lee, 67, from Burton Road, Poole, had been found guilty last year of causing, or permitting, the destruction of protected trees on Poole’s exclusive Sandbanks peninsula.
Mr Collier and Mr Lee had always denied being behind the destruction and, following a two-day appeal at Bournemouth Crown Court, Judge Roger Jarvis ruled that they had no case to answer.
Magistrates had previously heard how the men had bought land for £4.5 million through their firm Barrington Homes and secured planning permission to build two houses in Banks Road.
However, the company was in financial difficulties and they submitted a further pre-application enquiry to build three homes in June 2010.
They were told it was likely to be refused and, within three weeks, between 14 and 18 inches of bark had been cut from three Corsican pines and two Scots pines – a practice known as “ring barking”.
The 70ft trees were protected by tree preservation orders and worth £50,000 each. They will now slowly die because nutrients cannot pass through the bark. Mr Collier claimed that the site was insecure and vandals could have caused the damage. He also suggested aggrieved creditors or locals seeking better sea views may have been responsible.
Speaking outside court, after the appeal judgement, Mr Lee said he was “absolutely relieved”.
He added: “I’m still very annoyed. I was completely innocent of committing any offence, or even being guilty of thinking of committing the offence.”
The Borough of Poole’s planning enforcement manager Andy Dearing, who had previously described the destruction as “the worst environmental crime of its kind we have seen in Poole”, said: “We are of course disappointed by the decision and will be studying the implications of the judgement carefully whilst considering our options.
“Trees are a vital part of Poole’s landscape and, despite this result, we are grateful for the support and assistance we receive from local residents in curbing this crime. We are pleased that the appeal decision upheld a council requirement to replace the destroyed trees.”
An application for costs against the council was rejected.
Comments(23)
pete woodley
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2:44pm Fri 31 Aug 12
Cmdr Kryll
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3:05pm Fri 31 Aug 12
Dorset Logic
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3:18pm Fri 31 Aug 12
Dorset Logic
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3:18pm Fri 31 Aug 12
Dorset Logic
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3:18pm Fri 31 Aug 12
bourne free
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5:01pm Fri 31 Aug 12
paul.p
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5:49pm Fri 31 Aug 12
paul.p
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5:49pm Fri 31 Aug 12
djkent
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6:20pm Fri 31 Aug 12
a.g.o.g.
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6:47pm Fri 31 Aug 12
tracy m
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7:38pm Fri 31 Aug 12
djkent wrote:I don't know any developers but this sounds a little bit like "green eye" to me.
wonder how much money they paid to get the court and council off there back they make make me sick
Surely there must be good as well as bad developers or does that mean on principle we should all still be living in tents and caves?
fuzzy wuzzie
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7:40pm Fri 31 Aug 12
djkent
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8:27pm Fri 31 Aug 12
tracy m
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9:31pm Fri 31 Aug 12
djkent wrote:Doesn.t say much for the Judge.
people that want to keep a good reputation so would rather do a backhander to the judge rather than being found quilty
pete woodley
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9:55pm Fri 31 Aug 12
tracy m wrote:Judge Jarvis was utter prat as a solicitor and once got a severe telling of from a crown court judge.for verbally attacking a prosecution witness.
djkent wrote:Doesn.t say much for the Judge.
people that want to keep a good reputation so would rather do a backhander to the judge rather than being found quilty
pete woodley
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9:56pm Fri 31 Aug 12
tracy m wrote:Judge Jarvis was utter prat as a solicitor and once got a severe telling of from a crown court judge.for verbally attacking a prosecution witness.
djkent wrote:Doesn.t say much for the Judge.
people that want to keep a good reputation so would rather do a backhander to the judge rather than being found quilty
4stands
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10:15pm Fri 31 Aug 12
pete woodley wrote:Think he recently bought a house on Sandbanks with the view blocked by a tree
tracy m wrote:Judge Jarvis was utter prat as a solicitor and once got a severe telling of from a crown court judge.for verbally attacking a prosecution witness.
djkent wrote:Doesn.t say much for the Judge.
people that want to keep a good reputation so would rather do a backhander to the judge rather than being found quilty
rotcoddam
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11:31pm Fri 31 Aug 12
davecook
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7:00am Sat 1 Sep 12
a.g.o.g.
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8:57am Sat 1 Sep 12
Or was it..................
?
Otherwise, about £50k is what it would cost you to have one of those specimens transplanted to a nice position at the road end of the drive to your Country Manor, squire.
But it is all a scam in truth as grafts can be applied to trees that have been `girdled` so I read and so these trees need not die in reality! The words "tree bung" might describe the situation to a `T`.
a.g.o.g.
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9:38am Sat 1 Sep 12
davecook wrote:yes, but who in the end got the big fat brown envelope they left on the drivers seat because they knew that they had been seen and identified when doing the dire deed?
How can a scots pine, which grow round here like weeds, be worth £50,000 pounds? Also, because someone is in financial difficulties, building three houses on a building plot in Sandbanks instead of two doesn't really wash with me. Sometimes money seems to get a bit mixed up, and there are two cases here of things not adding up........
elite50
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11:41am Sat 1 Sep 12
The same thing happened.
Trees ringbarked.
The local council put up huge signs at about the same size of the trees saying, "This sign is to protest the destruction of the trees that were on this site".
This destroyed the veiws that these people hoped to create and stopped any others from doing the same thing!
4stands says...
2:37pm Fri 31 Aug 12