The Tesco Chainsaw Massacre... How Sir Terry Leahy Has Enraged Ecologists Over Eight Felled Pine Trees

[MisterMan]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...hai-island.html

Got picked up the Intl Post. Doesn't he have enough money already? Poor Phuket.

The Tesco chainsaw massacre... How Sir Terry Leahy has enraged ecologists over eight felled pine trees

The chief executive of Tesco is at the centre of a row over claims that a multimillion-pound luxury property development which he is co-funding has broken environmental laws.

Sir Terry Leahy has invested millions of pounds in West Sands, a residential resort being built on the island of Phuket, Thailand. But contractors are being accused of illegally felling eight pine trees to improve sea views for some new properties.

Protesters from the nearby village of Mai Khao have set up a manned 24-hour blockade for works vehicles to draw attention to what they say is a breach of the country's ecology laws.

According to the villagers, the trees were 100 years old and on land protected under the jurisdiction of Sirinath National Park, an oasis where giant marine turtles lay their eggs. Under Thai law, this should have guaranteed their preservation, they claim.

It has also been suggested that the trees, which were cut down with chainsaws this month, were destroyed because they shed needles which would have fallen into a swimming pool under construction.

Phuket's governor, Wichai Praisangob, said the matter would be investigated, with those responsible for any breaches of the law facing prosecution.

Phuket attracts about five million tourists each year and is popular with celebrities such as the supermodel Kate Moss.

Sir Terry, whose pay and perks package from Tesco was £5.1million last year, bought the 48-acre site with his business partner Paul Mercer in 2006. It boasts a 500-yard beachfront area.

Chopped down: The West Sands resort in Phuket, Thailand, that is part-funded by Sir Terry Leahy and where the illegal felling supposedly took place

The development, which will have 426 properties costing up to £1million each, is being marketed to China's increasingly wealthy tycoons.

Mr Praisa-ngob has established a committee to investigate the incident. If it concludes that any structures encroach on public land they will have to be removed immediately, according to the governor.

The row in Phuket will come as an embarrassment to Sir Terry, 53, who has reportedly amassed a personal fortune of £32million. Tesco markets itself as a socially responsible company that focuses on green issues.

Tesco has had a strong presence in Thailand since 1998 through its rapid expansion of Tesco Lotus stores. There are currently 380 and the supermarket claims to serve 29million customers in Thailand each month.

In 2008, West Sands won the Green Development Award at the Thailand Property Awards for the second year running. Commenting on West Sands' green credentials in September, Sir Terry said: 'It's a step in the right direction, rather than being the last word in eco-resorts ... There is more to do and more can be done.'

Speaking on behalf of Sir Terry, Tony Cousens, resort director for West Sands, said: 'The felling of these trees was an unfortunate mistake due to a miscommunication between contractors.

'We are sorry for this, especially as West Sands is being developed with the environment and sustainability at its heart. We are spending more than £2million on landscaping the resort, including the planting of 300 trees.

'West Sands has won awards for its positive environmental impact and will provide much-needed jobs and a major boost for local tourism.'

Edited December 20, 2009 by MisterMan

[KarenBravo]

Pine trees? In the tropics?

Think they must have been Casuarinas.

[Filer]

How could these two foreigners (if the Daily Mail report is correct in its details) have bought these 48 acres of land legitimately under Thai land ownership rules?

[bellachg]

How could these two foreigners (if the Daily Mail report is correct in its details) have bought these 48 acres of land legitimately under Thai land ownership rules?

Like all the other developments which are "owned" by foreigners, the ownership is probably in a company 51% owned by Thai "nominees" and the rest by the foreigners, structured in such a way that the foreigners are in control. The Casuarina trees were probably on the about 50 m wide strip of public land reserved in that area for the park and lying between the High Water Mark and the private ownership parcels. Many of the private owners in that area try to exert control over this strip of land which separates them from the sea by "landscaping" it to give the impression that it is private property and not public lands.