Man fined £450 for illegally felling more than 200 trees on own land

Alloa Sheriff: Charles Codona was fined for felling trees.

A man has been fined for illegally felling more than 200 trees at a site in Alloa.

Charles Codona, 48, cut down 150 mature sycamore trees and 62 much older mature oak and sycamore trees at Gubber Hill wood near Tullibody on April 1 last year.

Tree felling requires a licence from the Forestry Commission, but had not been applied for in this case.

At Alloa Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Codona, from Glasgow, pled guilty to a contravention of the Forestry Act 1967, sections 9(1) and 17, deforestation of 0.34 hectares without a licence.

He was fined £450, reduced from £500 to reflect his guilty plea.

Craig Harris, head of the Wildlife and Environmental Crime Unit at COPFS, said: "The woodland where Charles Codona illegally felled more than 200 mature trees was a popular area for dog walkers and well used by local residents. His actions have significantly changed the appearance of the area. Anyone wishing to fell a number of trees on their property should seek advice from the Forestry Commission, as a licence is often required."

The incident was brought to the attention of Clackmannanshire Council by a dog walker.

Council officers and Forestry Commission officers investigated and found the accused instructing two men in the felling of the trees at the site. The accused was asked to stop his activities there. He stated that he owned the site but that he did not know that a licence was required in order to fell the trees.

The following day, officers returned to the site and found that the tree felling had continued despite the instruction not to do so.

Investigations found that around 150 mature sycamore trees had been felled and that on the site 62 much older mature oak and sycamore trees had been felled.

The lowest estimated value of the trees is £1400, if used for firewood.

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