THE Forestry Commission has confirmed that it is investigating allegations of illegal tree felling close to a proposed development site near St Cleer.

On Baker’s Hill, the former Horizon Egg Farm is the location for a potential 70 new houses as well as an extra care facility, and commercial hub to include a shop, hairdressers, restaurant and office space.

St Cleer Parish Council has objected to the plans as they stand, citing a lack of suitable access and the impact of an increase in traffic.

Last month, a number of trees were felled and a lot of clearance work done on the verge approaching the Horizon site.

While the parish council has requested a Tree Preservation Order across the site to prevent any more felling, and no decision from Cornwall Council has yet resulted of this request, the Forestry Commission is investigating the work already carried out. A spokesperson for the Forestry Commission said: “We take protecting all trees and woodlands extremely seriously and won’t hesitate to investigate any allegations of illegal tree felling.

“If there’s no felling licence or other valid permission in place, or if the wrong trees are felled, anyone involved can be prosecuted.”

Anyone wishing to remove trees may need to get a felling licence from the Forestry Commission, unless an exemption applies – and other permissions may also be needed.

Felling trees without the required licence currently carries a penalty of £2,500 or twice the value of the timber felled, but provisions within the Environment Act have increased this penalty to an unlimited fine, set at the discretion of the Magistrates Court. The Forestry Commission also has the powers to serve a Restocking Notice upon the individual responsible for the land where any unlicensed tree felling occurred.

The planning applicants for the Horizon Farm development are Michael Kent and his sister Christine Chapman, and it’s the Kent family who own this site and ran the egg farm when it was operational. Multi-millionaire Michael Kent has been a director of various agricultural businesses, including the national Noble Foods and Happy Egg Co, and was noted as number 788 on the Sunday Times rich list of 2020, with a net worth of £155m.

The cleared land does not form part of the Horizon Farm site but is understood to be owned by the Chapmans: The Cornish Times has approached them for a comment, but has not received a response.