Sheffield Council’s five-year strategy for managing the city’s street trees was revealed in full this week – as part of a bid to ‘set the record straight’ as the campaign against felling continues.
The move comes after a second petition with 5,000 signatures was handed in at the Town Hall, where a debate was due to be held on Wednesday.
Protests over the felling and replacement of street trees as part of the council’s highways contract with Amey have sprung up across the city since lime trees on Rustlings Road, near Endcliffe Park, were earmarked for the chop last year.
Last July a 10,000-strong petition also triggered a debate.
Council leader Julie Dore said: “I know residents want more information about the work, which is why I am making the strategy more widely available. I recognise that there are a lot of myths circulating about our tree programme and I want to set the record straight.”
The strategy covers the period from 2012 to 2017.
Meanwhile, Sheffield’s independent tree panel – which considers residents’ concerns – is due to make its first recommendations within weeks. A consultation on the council’s wider Trees and Woodlands Strategy is due to be launched later this month.
