News / Trees
Business owner prosecuted for damaging protected tree
The director of a Warmley-based business has been prosecuted for wilfully damaging a protected tree.
The tree, a Norway Maple located in Bedminster, was subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) granted in 2021. A TPO reflects the recognised ecological, historical and community value of a tree, group of trees or woodland.
An individual looking to lop or fell a tree under the protection of a TPO is obliged by law to request planning permission from the local authority.
Gary Sykes of GGS Industrial Properties, a business listed as ‘buying and selling of own real estate’, was fined £4,388 for damaging the tree without the required permission.
Residents intervened when work was being done to the tree, leading to the council’s investigation and eventual prosecution – photo: Bristol City Council
The tree in question was situated on the site of the now closed Kings Head pub on Bridgewater Road in Bedminster.
The damage had caused “significant concern” to local residents and environmental groups according to the council, with the planning service bringing prosecution after “detailed investigation” by one of the council’s two tree officers.
The case was heard at Bristol Magistrate’s Court on January 19 with Sykes entering a guilty plea.
Chris Wallace, chair of Bristol Tree Forum which campaigns tirelessly for the enforcement of tree protection law, said the prosecution was “rare as hen’s teeth” in Bristol, while former chair Mark Ashdown said the prosecution “must be a first for Bristol. In all the years we have submitted complaints, I can’t recall a single instance where there was any sanction imposed. Maybe the tide has turned.”
The tree as it is in January 2026 – photo: Jenna Baker
Wallace expressed gratitude to planning officers for pursuing the case: “We do appreciate the difficulty, risk and cost of prosecution but every breach of planning which goes unchallenged sends the message that planning rules are effectively unenforceable and this is an affront to justice.”
“The protection of our natural environment is not optional,” said Andrew Brown, chair of the council’s economy & skills policy committee. “Tree Preservation Orders exist to safeguard biodiversity, maintain local character, and ensure that development is carried out responsibly.
“Where these laws are ignored, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action. I’d like to thank the local community who intervened when the work was being undertaken. Without this early intervention and the evidence provided by the community, the case wouldn’t have been able to proceed to the Magistrates Court.”
Main photo: Jenna Baker
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