Man fined £40,000 for unlicenced felling and habitat destruction in Horsham

A 40-year-old man has been fined for unlicenced tree felling and habitat damage in Horsham

The destruction took place in March 2022 across an 11 acre site in Horsham.

Ecological reports by Forestry England highlighted that the area that was home to a protected wildlife species, the Great Crested Newt. 

Rural Crime Team officers attended the site on 23 March 2022 to find a vast area of trees had been felled.

Contractors stopped the work of clearing the felled trees with heavy machinery while reports were reviewed. 

Officers were told by the contractors that they had been deceived by Paul Welch, owner of Oakmount Parks ltd the company they were contracted to, that ecology reports showed that no Great Crested Newts were at the site. 

Speaking to officers, Welch claimed he'd only ordered for trees damaged by Storm Eunice, as well as those that were already dying to be felled, stating it would have been a risk for the trees to stay up. 

He also claimed that he'd never had a visit from the Forest Commission ordering him to stop cutting town the trees. 

However there had in fact been site visit by Horsham District Council Arboriculture officers who noted that many of the trees being felled weren't storm damaged and dying, but fresh and green, and told workers at the site to stop. However, Welch ignored this and the site was cleared. 

Welch admitted at interview that he didn't read the ecological reports that he had commissioned to gain planning permission in full.

These reports stated that Great Crested Newts were living in or near two of the 11 ponds within the land. This section of the report Welch said he had read and he knew the animals were present on the plot of land he wanted to clear to build a number of wood cabins. 

Welch then went on to confirm that he was aware that it is illegal to carry out work without a European Protected Species (EPS) licence from Natural England as well as having planning permission. 

He confirmed that he knew Great Crested Newts were a species protected by law.

He confirmed that he knew felling the trees would disturb the newts and could destroy their habitat. 

He claimed that he only ordered the trees to be felled for health and safety reasons. 

An ecologist who visited the site concluded that it was highly likely that Great Crested Newts and any other animal at the site would have been killed, and their habitats and nests almost completely destroyed and unlikely to recover.

The ecologist also explained that not only did Welch's claims of felling trees for health and safety reasons not add up, due to how the trees had been felled and how many had been cut down, but that the site was now actually more dangerous with trees that would otherwise have been protected being left exposed.

Following an extensive and complex investigation, Welch was charged by postal requisition with damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a wild animal of a European protected species, and felling a growing tree without a section 9(1) felling licence. He was summonsed to appear at Worthing Magistrates' Court on 5 September 2023. 

Welch pleaded guilty to both offences at Worthing Magistrates' Court on 11 July 2024. 

On 24 June 2026, Paul Welch appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court and was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay a surcharged and court costs totalling £3,000. 

Rural Crime Team officer Police Constable Nicholas Hodge said: "Welch's disregard of environmental and wildlife laws, and his decision to repeatedly ignore expert advice has led to potentially irreparable damage to a protected species and their habitat. 

"I am pleased to see the severity of his actions reflected in the outcome of this case." 

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