A HOUSING developer and tree surgeon have been ordered to pay more than £11,000 for cutting down protected trees in Southampton.

The trees were removed from Warren Crescent after developer Quest Map commissioned their felling prior to submitting a development plan for the site.

The company and the tree surgeon who undertook the felling, Mark Mellor, have now been fined.

The issue was brought to the attention of Southampton City Council by concerned residents who spotted Mellor working on the tree as part of plans to build a three-storey building on the site.

As a result, the council took him to court along with Quest Map managing director Peter Harding.

Antony Peters, one of the city’s tree officers, said: “This result comes after a significant effort made by officers with vital help from the public, and shows the important role they can play in protecting the city’s tree stock.

“It is disappointing that a developer such as Quest Map has felled these important trees in an area which has sparse tree coverage.

“The checks to establish the presence of tree protection were not undertaken.”

Quest Map was issued a fine of £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,500, while Mellor was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.

The council said the prosecution would send a clear message that Southampton takes the protection of important trees seriously, and will seek to prosecute wherever possible.

Replacement trees will now be planted, though it will be many years before they offer comparable levels of benefit to the public.

The land needed to safeguard their establishment has been earmarked as part of the planning process.

Quest Map did not respond to a request for comment.