£40k: the Price of a few Cute Newts (and some trees)?
Developer Fined £40,000 for Unlicensed Tree Felling and Habitat Damage in July 2026.
A Rural Crime Team attended the site in Horsham, West Sussex, to find 11 acres of native woodland had been destroyed.
The area had been home to the Great Crested Newt, a protected wildlife species.
Ecological reports from Forestry England had highlighted this, but in March 2022 the developer, Paul Welch of Oakmount Parks Ltd, told his contractors to go ahead.
Welch claimed he only ordered the felling of dying trees together with those damaged by Storm Eunice. He also told officers he had never had a visit from the Forestry Commission. This was in direct contradiction to Horsham District Council Arboriculture Officers who had noted that many of the trees being felled were not damaged at all. They had told the workers to stop but Welch ignored this and ordered them to carry on.
At a subsequent interview, Welch confirmed he had not fully read the ecological reports he had commissioned in order to gain planning permission, but he had read enough to know the newts were present on land where he wanted to build a number of wooden cabins.
Welch confirmed he was aware it is illegal to carry out work without a European Protected Species (EPS) licence from Natural England, on top of having planning permission. Although aware the species was protected and that felling trees would at least disturb, and, at worst, destroy the newts and their habitat, he went ahead. He claimed it was for health and safety reasons but the specialist ecologist confirmed that this was inconsistent with the manner and number of trees felled.
The Outcome
- Welch pleaded guilty to damaging or destroying a breeding site or resting place of a wild animal of a European protected species, and to felling a growing tree without a felling licence.
- He was fined £40,00 and ordered to pay a surcharge and court costs totalling £3,000.
Cynically, we wonder how significant a dent this fine makes into the profits from developing the site. With static lodges in the Chichester area currently advertised as ranging between £100k and £300k , what price a few cute newts?