James Barney, who had access to a rich sea of funding , planned to build two holiday lets on the plot of land he had recently bought. He was ordered to pay £68,031 in fines and costs two month s ago.
James Barney, 35, was fined £1,000 on Tuesday for felling timber without a licence. Last month he was fined more than £65,000 for chopping down dozens of protected oak trees.
James Barney, 35, ignored a protection order on the trees, using diggers to tear down dozens of oaks in an area of woodland at Scoreys Copse, Horton Heath, Hampshire.
THE chopping down of scores of trees in a Hampshire wood has angered local people. Men with chainsaws have spent several days cutting down mature trees at Woodside Caravan Park just off the A32 at West Tisted, near Ropley. Neighbours say the authorities have been alerted but nothing has been done to stop the destruction of around 20 acres. But this afternoon the Forestry Commission said it had launched an investigation into the felling. One protester said the new owner of the site was asked to stop but has carried on cutting down the trees. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said the felling started on Saturday: The trees were felled over a public footpath which was not closed. When I confronted them for access and said you need a licence they threatened me by waving a chainsaw, saying this was their licence. The chainsaw was switched off at the time.