Man given suspended sentence over illegal woodland building
A man has been given a 21-day suspended prison sentence for failing to remove unlawful buildings from woodland. Stephen Windsor, of Johns Road, Bathwick, Bath, was found to have breached a High Court injunction by not taking down a wooden jetty platform on land he owns known as Quarry Woods at Quarry Hill in Box, Wiltshire. At a hearing on 30 January at the Business and Property Courts in Bristol, he was told he must remove the structure by 30 April or face jail. Windsor was also ordered to pay Wiltshire Council's costs of £10,000 within 14 days. Councillor Nick Botterill, cabinet member for strategic planning, said: "This sentence underlines our firm stance on unauthorised buildings in Wiltshire."
Windsor was convicted in February 2023 at Salisbury Magistrates' Court for failing to comply with a notice to demolish the buildings and subsequently lost an appeal in July 2023.The council then secured a High Court injunction for the demolition of the buildings in April 2024. Although Windsor removed a wooden toilet block from the land by the 5 May 2024 deadline he failed to take down a wooden jetty, which prompted further action.Botterill said Wiltshire Council had a legal duty to protect the area."Although the structures may be small, they were built without permission in highly protected deciduous woodlands," he said."The site holds multiple designations, including a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Wiltshire Greenbelt, and a Special Area of Conservation. "It also serves as a critical habitat for 10% of the UK's greater horseshoe bat population, one of our rarest species."
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