A dad who cut down a tree worth a six-figure sum after “taking matters into his own hands” has been hit with a fine after landing in the dock over the incident.
Carl Bellis was fined £1,100, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £440, and has to cover costs of £1,067, after felling the tree, which is valued at more than £100,000.
He was charged with wilful destruction of a tree after a case was brought by his local council. They claimed he was in contravention of a tree preservation order.
The order requires permission to make any amendments to protected trees from the local authority, but certain work being carried out on the trees in question is allowed.
Liverpool Echo reports Bellis, of West Derby, appeared in Liverpool Magistrates Court last week after a case was brought by Liverpool Council.
The court heard how in April 2024, Bellis, via a tree surgeon, contacted the city council for permission to remove a mature Beech tree from outside his home as it had created a hazard for him and his family.
After being turned down, Bellis took it upon himself to chop the tree down to an eight metre stump, leaving him with a fine for his trouble.
A hearing was told how last spring, Liverpool Council’s planning team received an online enquiry proposing works on the mature tree from a tree surgeon on behalf of Bellis.
This was despite a previous application for the tree to be removed entirely being rejected six months earlier. On that occasion, Bellis had alleged the tree had lifted paving flags outside his home, creating a trip hazard which meant it should be removed entirely.
A tree and landscaping officer determined however that the tree was in “good structural and physiological condition” and rejected the bid. Bellis’ application last April, via a tree surgeon, said a branch had fallen in winds, damaging guttering and roof tiles.
He said a branch had fallen damaging his car and another had fallen, narrowly missing his daughter. This was refused by the council on the basis of “insufficient evidence” and concerns could be addressed without destruction or removal of the tree.
On the same day, complaints were received by the city council that unauthorised tree works had been carried out and officers visited the site to identify that the tree had been reduced to an eight metre stump.
As a result, Bellis was issued a caution letter, alongside the tree surgeon who distanced himself from the project, stating he had played no part.
Bellis accepted in May 2024 he had carried out the unauthorised work on the tree, citing reasons sent to Liverpool Council a month earlier. This was during a time when an appeal against the October 2023 decision was still live.
Given Bellis had destroyed the tree, this was thrown out. An inspection of the site was conducted in September last year, which also identified no work had been done to address the uneven paving first mentioned as an issue for the tree’s removal.
The capital asset value of the tree was put at more than £114,000. The court heard how given the work done, the tree is unlikely to recover and any such value has been lost.
Pruning of the canopy of the tree was described as “turning a tree with significant amenity value into an eyesore.” Magistrates were told that Bellis had “essentially decided to take matters into his own hands at that stage.”
The costs of £1,067 which made part of his punishment which were awarded to Liverpool Council. A spokesperson for the local authority said it welcomed the sentence.