THE owners of a site where hundreds of trees were illegally felled in an act of “pure environmental vandalism” have lost an appeal to the Planning Inspector to create a traveller site on the land and have been handed a £14,000 fine. 

As previously reported in The Gazette, more than 500 trees were chopped down on land in Dixon Road, Sherfield-on-Loddon, in 2014, to make way for a traveller camp. 

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council refused permission for the owners to site caravans for residential use on three pitches, and create utility and day rooms. 

But Green Planning Studio, which submitted the application on behalf of one of the owners of the land, lodged an appeal against the decision with the Planning Inspector. 

This has now been refused, and the owners have instead been fined £14,000 collectively after admitting to failing to comply with an enforcement notice to re-stock the site. 

Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, welcomed the decision to uphold the borough council’s refusal of the planning application. 

She said: “I am delighted by the Planning Inspector’s decision on this application. 

“As I have consistently said, the unlawful felling of more than 500 trees at Dixon Road by the landowners was an act of pure environmental vandalism, and granting any form of planning consent for residential use would in essence have condoned the illegal activity which took place, and allowed those who broke the law in this way to benefit financially from their actions.”

She added: “This decision is a huge relief, particularly for local residents, who have from the start wanted to see this land used for the benefit of the community. 

“I will continue to do all that I can to support them on these matters.”

Councillor Nick Robinson, borough councillor for Bramley and Sherfield, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the Planning Inspector has upheld Basingstoke and Deane’s decision and that the employment of the Local Plan has been instrumental in achieving this outcome.”

A spokesman for the Forestry Commission said: “The magistrate fined the defendants collectively £14,000 (based on the value of the timber) for failing to comply with the notice to re-stock. 

“Legal advice has been provided by the Forestry Commission and a new enforcement notice cannot be issued. 

“The Forestry Commission will work with the land owners to restock the site, and with the local authority in continuing to recognise the site as woodland when considering future development on the site.”