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Priddy Circles damage fine appropriate?

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Sanctuary S
Sanctuary Nov 26, 2012 09:46:30
Replying to tjj

tjj wrote:
CARL wrote:
I had the weekend in Winchester (lovely place) and while there caught the local news.
A chap has just been fined £75,000 for cutting a mature tree down in his garden (which he wasn't allowed to do) in order to give an unobstructed sea view. It was estimated that this would increase the value of his property by £50,000. The council said they did not want him to financially benefit from his actions.
I am in no way saying that the fine was too high but it does make you think that the fine for the Priddy damage was too low?
An interesting dilemma Carl - the Priddy fine was just £2,500 with £7,500 in costs, although the offending land-owner also pledged £38,000 towards restoring the henge. To me this seems reasonable and no doubt the land-owner (who was of 'previous good character' had had time to reflect on the gravity of his actions). Would penalising him further have done any good - I doubt it.

I was with a small group of people the other day out around Silbury (now surrounded by water). One of them, a Canadian woman, admitted walking up Silbury whenever she could but said she did carefully and with respect. I have been in the forefront of making making dogmatic posts here in the past saying that people shouldn't. However, when face to face with an actual person who does, ranting didn't seem the way to go. I just quietly re-stated the reasons why its not a good idea and hoped it had some impact.

Edit: In the case of the man who cut down the tree to increase the value of his property I've just discovered this action was taken in a clandestine manner under the cover of darkness and the tree had a preservation order on it - so in light of that, the fine seems a fair cop.

Yes, if he was aware of the Preservation Order then chuck the book at the bloke! Light sentences and fines are the main reason why yobs do as they like in this country. Grrrr.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Nov 26, 2012 11:53:57
Replying to Sanctuary

Generally speaking I agree with you there Mr S, but saplings can be planted and grow – prehistoric henges cannot. And the comparison made elsewhere that people walking up and down Silbury ‘carefully and with respect’ is somehow relevant is pure nonsense. We can all do things carefully and with respect but it doesn’t change one iota the accumulative damage such actions result in - and that should be made perfectly clear to whoever is doing it (and that’s neither ranting or being dogmatic - it’s being clear, abiding by the rules and striving to protect our heritage for future generations).

V VBB
VBB Nov 26, 2012 17:18:07
Replying to Sanctuary

Sanctuary wrote:
tjj wrote:
CARL wrote:
I had the weekend in Winchester (lovely place) and while there caught the local news.
A chap has just been fined £75,000 for cutting a mature tree down in his garden (which he wasn't allowed to do) in order to give an unobstructed sea view. It was estimated that this would increase the value of his property by £50,000. The council said they did not want him to financially benefit from his actions.
I am in no way saying that the fine was too high but it does make you think that the fine for the Priddy damage was too low?
An interesting dilemma Carl - the Priddy fine was just £2,500 with £7,500 in costs, although the offending land-owner also pledged £38,000 towards restoring the henge. To me this seems reasonable and no doubt the land-owner (who was of 'previous good character' had had time to reflect on the gravity of his actions). Would penalising him further have done any good - I doubt it.

I was with a small group of people the other day out around Silbury (now surrounded by water). One of them, a Canadian woman, admitted walking up Silbury whenever she could but said she did carefully and with respect. I have been in the forefront of making making dogmatic posts here in the past saying that people shouldn't. However, when face to face with an actual person who does, ranting didn't seem the way to go. I just quietly re-stated the reasons why its not a good idea and hoped it had some impact.

Edit: In the case of the man who cut down the tree to increase the value of his property I've just discovered this action was taken in a clandestine manner under the cover of darkness and the tree had a preservation order on it - so in light of that, the fine seems a fair cop.

Yes, if he was aware of the Preservation Order then chuck the book at the bloke! Light sentences and fines are the main reason why yobs do as they like in this country. Grrrr.
It may seem like a fair cop to some, but this was a tree, so may have involved SPECIAL BRANCH!

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