Two men have been fined for cutting down and damaging protected trees in Ellesmere Park.
Tony Taylor, 48 of Stafford Road, Ellesmere Park and Lee Grundy, 36 of Manchester Road East, Little Hulton entered guilty pleas to breaching a Tree Preservation Order, each in respect of three trees, at Salford and Manchester Magistrates Court on Wednesday 30 March.
Mr Taylor was fined a total of £1,500 with costs of £1,149 and a £50 victim surcharge.
Mr Grundy was fined £1,500 with costs of £946 and a £50 victim surcharge.
Salford City Council launched an investigation when a council officer was walking down Stafford Road and reported that trees had been damaged.
Magistrates were told that Mr Taylor had employed Mr Grundy to carry out some building work at his property in Ellesmere Park. A foundation trench damaged the roots of several trees including four trees the subject of a tree preservation order and a street tree.
Planning permission had not been granted for the work.
Ben Dolan, Strategic Director for Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “Many trees in Salford are protected by tree preservation order or by the protection that they have from being situated within a Conservation Area, so people must inform the council if they plan to do any works that may cause damage or remove trees.
“If you do not have permission and a tree is cut down, uprooted or lopped in a manner that will destroy or damage it, then you face a hefty fine.”
