Between April 2019 and September 2020, Jeff Lane illegally felled over eight hectares of native woodland in the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) near Swansea.
In April 2022 he was found guilty of forestry offences at Swansea Magistrates’ Court, these included felling trees without an appropriate licence and for non-compliance with an enforcement order to replant the trees. He was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £11,280 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (PCOA).
Mr Lane appealed this conviction and was tried in November 2022 where he was again found guilty.
Native and wet woodland are listed as a priority habitat listed under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers investigated and found that a total of 8.5 hectares of native and wet woodland had been cut down without the appropriate licence. They found that Mr Lane had uprooted many trees and damaged them to an extent that they were unlikely to regenerate. The officers commented that it was one of the worst offences of illegal felling they had seen for 30 years.
NRW applied for a confiscation order under the PCOA on 14 June 2024 at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. The judge agreed with their assessment that Mr Lane had financially benefitted from his crimes to the total of £78,64.68. A confiscation order was made by the judge for Mr Lane to pay £11,280 as his available amount.
Nick Fackrell, a senior forestry regulation officer with NRW, commented: "We have a legal duty to protect the natural environment in Wales and that includes ensuring compliance with forestry regulations.
"We welcome the outcome and hope this sends a clear message that we won’t hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to protect wildlife and the environment."
