A London council has ordered a landowner to replant timber felled to make approach for out of doors sports activities fields.
Conservationists declare 131 timber had been illegally felled within the woodland adjoining to Cator Park in Bromley.
The leaseholder, Prince Choudary, informed Sky News that fewer than 40 timber had been minimize down earlier than the council served him with tree preservation orders (TPOs).
“The land has been in the family for 15 years,” he mentioned. “It has sports ground permission so I want to do sports activities there for the local community.”
Mr Choudary, a soccer coach, mentioned youngsters want out of doors areas to apply and play soccer and his indoor academy in Camberwell has run out of area.
“We get a lot of players from the Bromley area and Orpington so it’s difficult for them to go to Camberwell,” he mentioned.
“All these trees that have been cut down were going to be replanted on the side to make it more beautiful. We wanted a nice sports pitch in the middle and two small pitches on the side.”
The firm which owns the land, Hopeson Group Limited, mentioned the lease was “granted with a view to create sports facilities for participants of all ages”.
Mr Choudary has accused native residents of attempting to drive him away to allow them to use the area to stroll their canine.
He agreed to satisfy Sky News on the website provided that safety was supplied, saying the dispute has turn out to be so poisonous that locals set their canine on him.
Security guard in tow, he confirmed us the positioning’s entrance.
“This is where they broke the lock,” he mentioned, pointing to a latch on the gate that has been minimize off.
As Mr Choudary pointed to the damaged lock, a canine walker opened the gate and entered the land, earlier than closing it behind her and strolling off.
Ricardo Gama, senior affiliate at Leigh Day solicitors, has warned that such conflicts might turn out to be widespread.
“It’s becoming more common for these sorts of issues to arise,” he mentioned. “As people start to realise the value of trees and communities wake up to the value of trees, they’re taking steps to protect trees, to process, to campaign and to look into legal issues.”
Mr Gama mentioned councils typically difficulty TPOs earlier than a landowner is made conscious of the order.
“The TPO takes effect as soon as the order is made and before the council has informed the landowner,” he mentioned.
“Once the council has made this, they must notify the landowner and the landowner has certain limited rights.”
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Disputes over TPOs usually are not unusual.
In June, Sheffield metropolis council issued an open apology following a bitter dispute over the felling of hundreds of road timber.
Earlier this yr, Plymouth metropolis council chief Richard Bingley introduced his resignation after ordering the felling of greater than 100 timber to make approach for a £12m regeneration scheme within the metropolis centre.
In Bromley, native resident Anita Hocking informed Sky News she’s been utilizing Prince Choudary’s leaseheld land to stroll her canine for 18 years.
“Personally I don’t feel (Prince Choudary) is responsible enough to (operate) the land as it is,” she mentioned. “We have to respect that he (is the leaseholder), and if he locked the gate, I wouldn’t break in because I’m not the owner of it.”
Another lady allowed her daughter to choose berries. “We’re going to make blackberry jam – thought we’d start early on our Christmas presents,” she mentioned.
Local residents are supporting conservationists in calls to retain the woodland for dog-walking and wildlife.
Anne Taylor, director of the conservation group CPRE, informed Sky News: “I hope the (leaseholder) will realise what has happened here means he can never develop it or use it for any income-generating purpose and hopefully (release) this land – hopefully to someone like a philanthropist or an environmental body.
“We’re actually eager that this ought to be now restored (and) preserved as a group woodland.”
Bromley Council told Sky News it is investigating the felling of protected trees.
“As a part of our strong and methodological response to this desperately unhappy incident, we’ve got now additionally notified the landowner of a authorized requirement to replant oak timber on this a lot beloved, mini woodland website,” it said in a statement.
Hopeson Group Limited said it was “completely happy to work with the council to resolve any issues which they could have”.
Source: information.sky.com”