It will take time and a lot of work to restore trust following the Sheffield tree scandal

That trust is still absent today and will take a lot of time and work to restore. Let’s not forget that ordinary people were effectively criminalised for simply trying to stop the wanton destruction of their city.

The furore over the leader of Sheffield City Council’s incorrect response to a street tree campaigner’s complaint about protesters who were subjected to “illegitimate pressure “over a court threat highlights there’s a long way to go to heal relations between the council and wronged campaigners.

When asked why a formal complaint from those illegitimately pressured to sign a draconian undertaking had so far taken three years to process, Tom Hunt responded in March that the complaint was not progressed in 2021.

“This is because the independent street tree inquiry was announced at that time and it was felt that the inquiry was a better way of resolving the issues that were raised,” he added.

What he failed to include in his response was “and the council’s response to it”. The omission of just a few words caused consternation. It shows that councillors need to choose their words very carefully because trust is at a premium.

Mr Hunt is right to hold his hands up and correct the record. To be fair to him and council chief executive Kate Josephs, they weren’t the architects of the ill-judged tree felling plan and have repeatedly proffered apologies for the council’s actions following the Lowcock Report findings.