A landowner who erected a mobile home and an "expanse of man-made structures" in a protected woodland has been jailed.

Gareth Daniel Sullivan was sentenced at the High Court yesterday after he accepted he was in breach of an injunction preventing the development of land at Fowler's Stone Wood, Vigo.

Unauthorised activity was first reported at the site off Harvel Road near Meopham in April last year and included the erection of a "significant expanse of man-made structures", tree-felling and road laying.

Gravesham council was granted an interim injunction at the start of May 2020 preventing work on the land, which is deemed an “irreplaceable habitat” and sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Meopham Down Special Landscape Area.

It is also covered by a Woodland Tree Preservation Order.

In the council's application for a final order, which was subsequently granted under mounting pressure to enforce the High Court ruling, Sullivan was also required to remove buildings, other structures and associated material from the land.

Sullivan later breached an injunction preventing illegal development on the woodland site and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment yesterday.

Welcoming the sentence, Cllr John Burden, leader of Gravesham council, said: "Mr Sullivan has shown a complete disregard for the law and the legal measures in place to stop him continuing the destruction of Fowler's Stone Wood.

"I know this case has caused great distress, anger and frustration for local people, just as it has for members and officers of this authority.

"However, we have been clear in our own minds throughout that we needed to follow our own legal advice to the letter and to build up a body of evidence sufficient to convince the High Court that a substantial breach of its own injunction had occurred.

He added: "The fact that Sullivan is now behind bars highlights the seriousness of his actions and is testament to the diligent work of our enforcement officers and legal team, aided in no small part by our local members, residents and the parish council."

The site is still subject to a planning appeal following the council's refusal of a retrospective planning application for work carried out there.

The application received objections from Kent Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, Meopham and Vigo Parish Councils, and neighbouring properties.

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