Council tells company behind illegal wood felling ordered to replant hundreds of trees

Dorset Council has warned that a company behind the illegal felling of 0.6 hectares of wood must replant hundreds of trees or face further enforcement action.

Weymouth Magistrates' Court fined local firm Weymouth Park Ltd £30,000 in February 2025 after finding the company had breached a felling license.

The Forestry Commission had given permission to thin 30% of the trees in Fleet Wood in Chickerell.

However, works in January 2023 saw 0.6 hectares cleared, far exceeding the commission's guidelines.

The patch of wood was part of a Section 41 Priority Habitat within the Dorset Natural Landscape and protected by a Tree Preservation Order dating back to 1991.

A council investigation revealed the timber clearance occurred under the direction of individuals associated with Weymouth Park Ltd.

The responsibility for enforcing tree replacement in areas with a Tree Preservation Order lies with the council, which has now shared a replanting plan with the firm.

The plan details the required tree species, locations, and density and specifies planting 1,100 trees per hectare. The council has given Weymouth Park Ltd until March 2026 to complete the replanting. If these steps are not undertaken, the council will take further action to ensure compliance, it warned.

Cllr Shane Bartlett, Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, emphasised the council's commitment to restoring Fleet Wood, stating: "Fleet Wood is a vital part of Dorset's natural heritage, and its restoration is essential.

"We expect Weymouth Park Ltd to fulfil their responsibility and reinstate the woodland for the benefit of our environment and future generations. Dorset Council will take all necessary measures to ensure this replanting is completed."

Adam Carey