Sheffield greenbelt campaigners deserve same praise as tree campaigners - Yorkshire Post Letters

I am writing to state my full support for the campaign to prevent Sheffield Council building on sites in the Greenbelt, ironically with the support of the Green Party councillors on the council who were voted in a few years ago on the strength of the Save Sheffield Street Trees campaigns.

The Campaign To Save Chapeltown, Ecclesfield and Grenoside's Greenbelt have so far run an excellent campaign based on statistics, facts, evidence and the wholehearted broad support of the local people in those areas and across the city.

Having looked at the evidence it appears that there are in fact many brownfield sites available as alternatives to the proposal to build on the city's vital greenbelt including as I understand it four working farms which are vital for producing the food which the area relies on.

The minority Labour group on the hung council in Sheffield has seen through the plans to build on the green countryside with the ironic support of the Green Party. Readers will remember that the highly vocal Save Sheffield Trees campaigns ultimately were successful in their quest to halt the alleged felling of healthy street trees in the city by a council contractor, and have a much better policy with regards to caring for trees implemented.

The victory of the tree campaigns also resulted in several high profile resignations of senior Labour councillors and a greater number of Green councillors being elected. These same Green councillors are now supporting plans to cut down trees and build on wildlife rich green spaces and farmland.

I also understand from the Campaign To Save Chapeltown, Ecclesfield and Grenoside's that there is allegedly a nasty habit forming amongst supporters of political parties on the council falsely accusing the campaigners of ‘trolling’ them on social media when attempts have been made to ask questions and hold councillors to account. Those allegedly doing this especially if any of them were involved in the Sheffield Tree campaigns would do well to remember that it was reported that exactly the same was done to them.

The organisers of the Campaign To Save Chapeltown, Ecclesfield and Grenoside's deserve to have a display and plaque in the town hall for their efforts in trying to preserve the city's green belt in the same way the Save Sheffield Trees campaigns have had.