Hounslow B&B fined record £17,000 for tree cutting

A Hounslow bed and breakfast has been hit with a record fine after felling six trees in a conservation area. Skylark Bed & Breakfast LLP, in Bath Road, was fined £17,000 for the offence, with surcharges making the total to be paid £23,186.50.

The six mature trees felled were found to be in the St Paul’s Hounslow conservation area. The fine is the largest ever fined in the district for felling trees.

It was Hounslow Council officers who first discovered the company’s illegal activity, taking it to court. The council said “trees were an integral part of the local landscape and played a vital role in maintaining the ecological and aesthetic quality of the area”.

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Property owners wishing to make alterations or works affecting trees in a conservation area must first have council approval to ensure compliance with conservation regulations. Failure to do so could result in prosecution.

Hounslow Council says it owns and manages 383 tree species and over 124,000 trees across the borough. The court case and huge fine are said to be proof of his commitment to protecting the area’s natural features.

Cllr Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, said: “We are deeply committed to protecting the natural and historic environment of our borough. Trees play a major role in mitigating the effects of climate change. and make our neighborhood a greener, healthier place to live, which is why penalties for illegal tree cutting are so important.

“The illegal felling of these trees was a serious offense which not only breached conservation area regulations but also deprived the community of important natural assets. This record fine sends a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated and we will take decisive action to protect our green spaces. I want to thank our law enforcement team for their diligent work in bringing this case to court.”

Skylark B&B called the incident an “honest mistake” and apologized to everyone involved. The company says it checked for preservation orders on the trees but found none, so it acted before it was informed of the order.

It said it would work with the local council to improve the local area “as we have always done through our business practice, adding value to the area through hard work and investment”.

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