A 63-year-old man from Blackwood accused of illegally felling around 200 ancient trees failed to appear at a court hearing today, Friday, August 4.
Keith Smith is accused of felling around 200 hedgerow beech trees on land at Pen y Fan Farm, in Manmoel, near Blackwood, without the necessary licence.
Smith is being prosecuted by Natural Resources Wales under the Forestry Act 1967 after the trees were felled in January this year, but failed to show at Newport Magistrates’ Court to enter a plea.
The case was adjourned after prosecutors admitted they were unsure whether Smith had received the court summons.
Mohammed Yakub, prosecuting on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, told the court papers served to Smith were sent recorded delivery but had not been signed for, leading to uncertainty over whether he had moved address.
He said: “There is a reluctance to proceed in the defendant’s absence in the interest of justice. These are serious allegations, and we would like to adjourn for six weeks for an investigation to determine where Keith Smith is, and personally re-serve him papers.”
The case will now be heard at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Friday, September 15.
On its website, the environmental agency states that the felling of trees without licence can lead to fines of up to £2,500 or twice the value of the trees – whichever is the greater amount.
They can also serve a restocking notice to a land owner or tenant convicted of illegal felling to ensure that the land in question is replaced with trees, which must be maintained to acceptable standards for up to ten years.
Tim Jones, Executive Director for NRW, said: “Trees are incredibly important for the environment and wildlife, as part of the landscape and for our own health and wellbeing.
“The loss of these veteran trees, which were hundreds of years old, is devastating and it will take many generations for new trees to grow to replace them, if they grow at all.
“Like many things in our environment, trees are often taken for granted. Felling licences are part of the system we have in place so we can manage our trees and woodlands effectively, protecting them and making sure they continue to benefit us all now and into the future.”