Fined £60,000, millionaire who butchered trees to boost value of £1.2m home
A MILLIONAIRE who butchered protected trees that blocked the sunlight on his patio and two balconies has been ordered to pay almost £60,000.
Trevor Beale breached a Tree Preservation Order by destroying the canopies of the two 60ft Scots pines at the back of his luxury home in Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset.
In doing so, he improved the natural light on his property’s rear patio and balconies above it and increased the value of his £1.2 million property by 3.5 per cent.
Beale, 58, should have sought permission from his local authority before carrying out work on the mature trees, one of which was in a neighbouring garden.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of contravening tree preservation regulations at a previous hearing.
After hearing evidence from property surveyors, a judge ruled that Beale must pay back £40,579 – the value the illegal act added to his contemporary five-bedroom home. He was also fined £2,700 and ordered to pay £15,500 in costs.
Andy Dearing, of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which brought the prosecution, described Beale’s actions as ‘selfish’. He said: ‘We’re delighted with the outcome. It’s a great result for tree damage and reflects the seriousness with which the courts view these offences.’
Beale’s three- storey house, called Allure, sits in the middle of the Sandbanks peninsula and is close to the home of former football manager Harry Redknapp.
Tom Horder, prosecuting, said Beale hired a tree surgeon to carry out some legitimate work to a storm-damaged tree on January 24 last year. He added: ‘He had a tree surgeon there. Our case is that he used the opportunity to destroy to a large extent the canopies of two trees at the rear of the house.
‘We say this was a deliberate act to... let in the light.’
Mr Horder said increased natural light made ‘a big difference to the value, saleability and potential rental income’. Beale lets the property out for up to £4,800 a week in the summer.
Mark Ruffell, mitigating, said the tree surgeon was ‘over-zealous’. He added: ‘If you ask someone to cut your hair and you do not supervise, they sometimes cut more than you wish.’
‘Deliberate act to let in the light’