Money grows on trees in Lublin
Polish herbal producer Herbapol had planned to build an enormous logistics center in Lublin, but after local authorities landed it with a hefty bill for cutting down trees it is going to take its money elsewhere.
Three years ago the company purchased a half-hectare land plot for the facility, which was to employ 60 people and would cost zł.6 million.
The company applied for the construction permit last year and, as part of the works, it needed to cut down five trees on the site. The Municipal Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (MIO) gave permission for this in August but demanded that Herbapol pay zł.53,000 per tree.
The company took the issue to court and argued that the Polish legislation on environmental protection says that no fees are charged for felling trees as long as they grew after an area was designated as a construction plot. Herbapol's site has had this status since 1987.
The company appealed to the Samorzadowe Kolegium Odwoławcze (Local Board of Appeals), which overruled the MIO decision. MIO, however, was undeterred and continued to demand the cash. The dispute lasted for 14 months before Herbapol decided that it would up sticks and put down roots elsewhere, probably in Kock or near Łódż.
