Hartlepool Borough Council has secured a criminal prosecution for unauthorised works to a tree in a conservation area, marking the first successful case of its kind by a Tees Valley authority.
Abdul Khalik, of Hutton Avenue, pleaded guilty to carrying out unauthorised works and was fined £510, ordered to pay a £204 victim surcharge and £300 in costs, and received a criminal record for the offence.
Kieran Bostock, the Council's Director of Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services, said: "This landmark prosecution demonstrates Hartlepool’s strong and unwavering commitment to protecting and preserving our trees and our conservation areas, which are vital to our environment, heritage and community wellbeing."
Trees within conservation areas are protected under Section 211 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, even if they don’t have a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) attached to them. Anyone wishing to carry out work on these trees must give the Council six weeks written notice, allowing time for the trees’ value and condition to be properly assessed.
If you’re planning work on a tree in a conservation area, you must notify the Council before starting. Find out how to do this via the link below:
https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/trees/tree-preservation-orders-conservation-areas
Click on the link below to check whether your property is in a conservation area
https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/heritage-conservation/conservation-areas-hartlepool
For further advice or guidance contact the Council’s Arboricultural Officer Scott Watson at scott.watson@hartlepool.gov.uk